


In Ba Sing Se

by KaiserKris



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 08:23:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3562850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserKris/pseuds/KaiserKris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if the Dangerous Ladies failed to take Ba Sing Se at the end of Season 2? </p><p>A blast from my ficcing past, this fic traces roughly the rest of the show's canon time and (very slightly) beyond.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

In Ba Sing Se, Part I: 

 

Misguided Expectations:

 

“What did you expect, Azula? That they were just going to give in just like that?” Mai sighed, looking at her friend. Her face, as always, was virtually impassive. Azula thought, however, that she could read a little bit of smug self-satisfaction in that face. 

  
Azula glared back, and somehow, irrationally felt particularly aware that Mai was two and a half inches taller than her. It made intimidation that much harder, particularly when they were both trapped as prisoners of the Dai Li. “I am a Princess of the Fire Nation! I should not be treated like this!”  
  
“Princess of the Fire Nation.” Mai replied dryly. “That makes you an enemy of the Earth Kingdom. And a valuable bargaining chip. Surely with all your vast intellect, you have deduced that much.” Her tone came out a little more explicitly mocking this time. “Face it, Azula, we’re prisoners. Are we going to try to escape or see if your Father will free us?”   
  
Azula decided, just for now, to ignore the implicit challenge in Mai’s tone. It would not do to punish her quite at the moment; after all, she could be useful. And as much as Azula hated to admit it, Mai’s judgement of the situation was more or less accurate. “We need to evaluate the situation carefully. There could be more to this than we know.” She looked around at their cell, which was actually a walled-off wing of a manor house. Secure, but comfortable. “You are right in that we are valuable to him. Perhaps this imprisonment may yet prove a blessing in disguise.”  
  
“I’m not going to make judgement until Ty Lee comes back.” Mai replied. Their eyes met for just a brief moment, Azula breaking the eye contact first.  
  
“She’s not politically valuable like we are.” Azula replied. “If he treats her well, we can assume he has a vested interest in treating the rest of us well. If not … then we need to look towards escape.”   
  
“You’re such a caring friend, Azula.” Mai replied, with her usual deadpan tone.   
  
“Shut up, Mai.” Azula replied, her tone snappier than usual. “I am attempting to form our strategy for what follows. Ty Lee is an asset in my favour.”   
  
“You know, your Father can’t hear you here.” Mai ventured for a moment, the deadpan tone seeming just a little less cool, as if the words she said went a bit closer to her heart.   
  
“What is that supposed to mean, Mai?” Azula raised an eyebrow, bright amber eyes focused on Mai’s. 

“Nothing. Just something to think about.” Mai sighed and went back to leaning against the frame of their cell window.

Azula lay back down on her bed, which was, admittedly, of tolerable comfort even for someone of her elevated station. In some ways, the treatment they were receiving made her even more nervous. Perhaps Long Feng was simply intending a hostage exchange of some sort, but what would he want to extract from her Father in exchange? Long Feng seemed to have little interest in the affairs of the Earth Kingdom as a whole. All of his interests and power lay in Ba Sing Se itself, which he effectively controlled. Political promises? But he would surely know that as soon as Long Feng returned Azula to the Fire Nation, that her father would go back on his word and raze the city to the ground. Or was Long Feng attempting a more subtle game in the long run?

It would not do to ponder the vulnerability of her situation in detail. She was a firebending prodigy and for all their annoyances, Ty Lee and Mai were skilled warriors, but Long Feng commanded hundreds of Dai Li and perhaps tens of thousands of regular troops in the Ba Sing Se garrison. Through them, he dominated the will of well over a million inhabitants of the swollen metropolis, with hundreds more coming every day for a chance at a life outside the war. She would have to play any games very carefully now that Long Feng was fully in control of the city. At the very least, she would have to bide her time for a good opportunity to escape.

 

~.~

 

Spring Days

Long Feng quietly sipped his tea, quietly contemplating his next move. He looked at the Pai Sho board before him, analyzing, in a second, all the potential moves and strategies he could form. The tried-and-true maneuvers honed over centuries. Novel techniques that the old Masters would be completely blindsided by. A small smile spreading across his usually impassive face, he made his move. His opponent looked carefully at the board, sipping her own drink, and made her move. Her own features broke into an outright toothy grin. 

  
"Dadddyy. That was a silly move you just made." Chu-Hua grinned a little wider. "Don't go easy on me! I know how to play this game!" 

  
Long Feng simply smiled in response. "I wasn't simply going easy on you, princess. Sometimes, even the most brilliant of people make mistakes. You need to be able to take advantage of them when they do occur. You made a very good move in response." He sipped his tea again. "You're getting better every time we play."

Chu-Hua smiled. "I sure am. Ty Lee isn't very good at Pai Sho, though. We played three games and I beat her every time. She's really good at cartwheels and stuff, though! Do you want to see?" 

  
"I would love to see what you have learned. Let's go out into the courtyard, though. The floors are much too hard." Long Feng took her hand and they walked out together into the courtyard of their villa, a virtual palace. She took his hand happily and soon was virtually dragging him out. Two of his handpicked personal bodyguards stood aside as they passed through the door. It was a beautiful sunny day, with summer coming on. As they went out into the courtyard, Long Feng went to a stone hewn bench and sat down, shifting the shape of the stone ever so slightly to be more comfortable. His daughter grinned at him and promptly attempted a cartwheel, one that, unfortunately, resulted in her falling onto the ground.

  
Chu-Hua promptly picked herself up, looking more than a little upset. 

  
"It's quite all right." Long Feng replied, going over and helping her dust herself off. "Try again. Think of it like bending. Focus on the task."

  
Chu-Hua took a deep breath and tried to focus as hard as she could on the cartwheel. Launching herself into it, a long second or two later, she found herself upright. She grinned like a loon. "Pretty good, huh?" 

  
"Excellent." Long Feng agreed with a smile. "Would you like to have Ty Lee come again to teach you some more acrobatics?" 

  
Chu-Hua's face lit up. "Yes please!" 

  
Long Feng could not, of course, refuse his daughter anything. She would have more acrobatics lessons. Thankfully, the young Fire Nation woman had proven cooperative enough. It would be positively a shame if he had to coerce her. And besides, his daughter was an intelligent young woman and would most likely figure out that something was wrong. But all that was entirely too grim a thought for such a lovely day. Later that evening, when she was asleep and dreaming peacefully, he would attend to the business of keeping order in the great City.  
  
And work on his plan for the Fire Nation Princess and her friends. 

 

~.~ 

 

The Dai Li Is Mother, The Dai Li Is Father

 

Quan Shi, the Commander of the Jinzhai Sector of the City, entered the Oath Chamber without any of the elaborate processional the new recruits may have expected. While Long Feng himself was a handsome, well-built man, Quan Shi, one of his primary lieutenants was tall and almost reedily thin with seemingly permanent dark circles around his green eyes, which were coldly incandescent. He came to the centre of the stage, his gaze wandering about the group of three dozen or so new Dai Li members, occasionally fixing on one or another of them. It was entirely random of course, but no one ever suspected that it was. Using his Earthbending, he raised a podium, more for its effect than any actual need to have notes before him. He'd memorized the speech. 

 

"Tonight, all of you will pass from whatever lives you had before, into a new one. You have all been deemed worthy of joining the family of the Dai Li, the guardians of this great city and its ancient heritage, its people and its prosperity. This is a great honour and you should all feel proud of your accomplishments. But never, ever forget that you are now a part of something that goes beyond yourselves, beyond any one of us. The Dai Li have kept peace and order in Ba Sing Se for centuries. You are now a part of that proud heritage. Some of you are the children of members of our organization. But most of you are not. Some of you come, yes, from the houses of the wealthiest merchants and bureaucrats in the city, even from the nobility. Others, though, come from humbler orders of society. Here, though, you are all equals. We transcend social class, material wealth- we have tested you all and found you worthy. 

 

The Dai Li is your Mother, the Dai Li is your Father. Your fellow agents are your brothers, your sisters. Our Director, Long Feng, welcomes you into that Family." 

 

The new cadets returned with a chant, in perfect unison. _The Dai Li is Mother. The Dai Li is Father._

 

One of the cadets reciting the chant, again and again, was born of a poor family in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, lowly even by the standards of the lower classes. His father was a menial labourer and his mother worked as a domestic servant for a craftsman. He had been discovered by the Dai Li at age thirteen, using his Earthbending to avoid being beaten by a merchant for stealing some apples. He had been taken in, with the Dai Li making an arrangement with him and his parents. He would be taken in and trained as one of them in exchange for a flat sum and a small annuity paid to his parents. The last that Hakka had heard of his parents, his mother had opened a noodle shop and his younger brother was undertaking training as the apprentice of a blacksmith. Everything that he had, he owed to the Dai Li. 

 

In Ba Sing Se, Part II

 

The Fire Lord's Response

The messenger hawk arrived only a few days afterwards, arriving at the Fire Nation capital. It was picked up by the Royal Messenger Corps detachment in the Outer Palace and the message brought from there to the National Secretariat, and then directly to the attention of Fire Lord Ozai. The news contained was not positive. The Princess Azula had failed in an attempted coup against the city government of Ba Sing Se and was currently being held as a prisoner. The city's de facto ruler, Long Feng was looking to open negotiations regarding the princess. Rinzen was the unfortunate official that was ultimately sent to deliver the message to the Fire Lord. Gulping audibly, he entered the Throne Room, prostrating himself before the Fire Lord and holding up the message scroll. 

 

The Fire Lord looked down at his servant, and had an attendant take the scroll and put it in his hands. Rinzen was a high-ranking official, and it was a reasonable supposition that it was important. Taking the scroll, he read it carefully, his skin tone shifting from a pale gold, to a far redder shade, the scroll burning to ash in his hands. 

 

"The incompetent fool!" Ozai snarled, gesturing angrily in the general direction of Rinzen, but not at him in particular.

 

"How ... shall we answer, lord? Or do you wish to draft a reply yourself?" Rinzen asked, still bowing before his Lord. 

 

Ozai's face cooled slightly, the redness of anger giving way but being replaced with a hard cast. Rinzen was glad that he was required to avert his eyes from the Fire Lord, because he did not want to see them at this moment. Everything about his Lord indicated that he was deeply angry and disappointed. Rinzen was a fifteen-year veteran of the Royal bureaucracy. He had seen what had happened to Prince Zuko with his own eyes. Everyone knew that the Fire Lord brooked no weakness, no imperfection at all in his family. It was why, of course, that family had been steadily decimated. Though no one dared to say so in his presence. 

 

"No. There will be no reply. Azula has failed, and it is up to her to extricate herself. Then and only then, will I decide whether further action will need to be taken." Ozai's words came out in a falsely even tone. "Does my answer surprise you?"

 

"... your Majesty. I do not presume to know your mind." Rinzen replied swiftly, his voice betraying just a hint of fear. Ozai smiled ever so slightly. The fear was appropriate. Rinzen was a good servant- sufficient for the humble purpose of staffing his bureaucracy. Azula, as his daughter and the possible heir to the Throne, needed to be held to a much higher standard. 

 

"A very politic response, Rinzen." Ozai replied smoothly. "But when the Fire Lord asks you a question, you should answer it." 

 

A few drops of sweat rolled down Rinzen's forehead. He took a breath and decided it would be best to be honest. "No, your Majesty. I am not surprised." 

 

"Good." Ozai replied mysteriously, seemingly pleased by the response. "You are dismissed." 

 

~.~

 

Lunchtime! 

 

"When we were taken prisoner, I was expecting that we would be treated horribly. You know, thrown in prison with chains. This is kinda nice, actually. And Chu-Hua is a sweet little kid! And she's learning really quickly!" Ty Lee babbled excitedly between bites of a sweet bun. "Which is kinda weird. That I'm, you know, playing with his daughter. And not being asked questions about where our troops are." 

 

"He knows that you know nothing." Azula replied, sipping her tea. "He figures that you are harmless. Harmless enough to tutor his child. This could be an advantage. Make sure that Chu-Hua suspects nothing about your long-term goals." Azula looked at Ty Lee for a moment, before realizing that, likelier than not, her oldest friend didn't have any long-range goals. That, perhaps more even than her lack of intellectual rigor was what frustrated her most about Ty Lee. She lived perpetually in the moment. 

 

Mai, on the other hand, was smarter than most people supposed- she had even come close to beating Azula at Pai Sho on a few occasions. But Mai lacked drive and ambition. Azula was aware that her disengagement with the world was to a great extent a defence mechanism, but it was still a weakness. All in all, though Azula wasn't sure if she minded that. If Mai was as ambitious as she was, she might present a real threat to her. Setting down her tea, she picked up her sweet bun and delicately took a bit. It was a little bland in flavour, lacking the subtle spices that would have been in the Fire Nation version. But it was palatable enough. 

 

"Come up with a plan yet, Azula?" Mai spoke, with an eyebrow ever so slightly raised. 

"At the present moment, Mai ..." Azula replied, fixing Mai with the best glare that she could. This time, she noted with satisfaction, it was Mai that looked away. "It is in our best interests to play nice. Ty Lee, you may continue teaching Chu-Hua. Mai ... no. You may continue to be unpleasant. Anything else would raise suspicions. I will attempt to arrange an audience with Long Feng himself. I would like to discern his intentions before progressing further. I am surprised that I have not heard anything relating to my Father yet." 

 

"He must be worried sick about you." Ty Lee piped up before frowning. "I bet my parents and sisters are really worried too. I sent them a hawk saying I was gone, you know, to serve my country. But they might not even know I'm here." 

 

"Ty Lee." Azula shushed her by speaking up. "You will have time to explain the situation to your parents. In person. We will escape one way or the other, and we will do it together." 

 

Ty Lee suddenly smiled and hugged her friend. "You always know just the right thing to say, `Zula!" Azula, for her parent, tolerated the hug. Sometimes one had to play nice for the peanut gallery. It was a small price to pay, really. 

 

Mai sipped her tea impassively. She could see perfectly well the tiny upward curve of Azula's lip. She liked that hug just as much as Ty Lee did, hesistant as she may have been to admit it. She was just glad that nobody was hugging her. It was terribly undignified. "So. We're simply supposed to sit tight in this prison cell and try and be nice to our captors? How boring." 

 

Azula pulled out of the embrace a little quickly when Mai spoke. "Patience, Mai. We will have our day soon enough. And one day, this city will burn." She smiled, a slightly cracked smile that made Ty Lee look away ever so slightly. "Ba Sing Se will be mine. And the Earth Kingdom will fall." 

 

End Part 2

 

The Earth Demon

 

The battle to contain the Avatar and his friends was not going well. Hakka and his Dai Li associates were fighting valiantly, but the kids were proving to be by far the most formidable challenge they had dealt with yet. Hakka had come around with a squad of five Dai Li agents to try and deal with the Earthbending girl. That had been the plan at least, a minute ago. The four others had been picked off one after the other, as if being punished by Kwan herself, rather than what appeared to be a tiny blind girl. Hakka had dispensed with the illusions of her being anything but an incredibly dangerous opponent as he barely dodged yet another massive earth attack, using his Earthbending to run along the cave walls and rocks on his feet to propel him to another wall. He kept moving as quickly as he could, her attacks missing by inches or less each time, but missing just enough for him to stay on their game. 

 

"Nice dancing, fancypants! Hey Twinkletoes ... you'd like this one!" Toph taunted, this time shifting the very rock wall that he was perched on. Leaping out of the way, he landed heavily, sliding about on the dirt floor to again, just barely dodge an attack. Whenever he could though, he tried to carefully observe her. He noticed a funny trend. Although her eyes were sightless, it was still her typical instinct to orient herself slightly towards her attacker. Primal instinct, unalterable even by her blindness, he supposed. Her attention seemed to lapse significantly, however, whenever he was in the air. He had distinguished himself during training as an extremely acrobatic Earthbender- the only fact, he realized, that was keeping him going against a foe who was, by all other standards, much more powerful than he was. 

 

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he alighted on the ground for just the briefest of moments, using his rock boot to hit the ground so hard he felt his bones ache, sending a seismic wave as strong as he could towards her. Earthbending relied on a strong, steady stance. If he could somehow break hers ... but it was only for the briefest moment, less than a second that he managed to do so. Hakka did, however, notice the briefest moment of uncertainty. It lasted just long enough for him to attempt to launch a stronger outright blow, an Earthwave. It was not long enough, however, for the attack itself to connect. She parted his attack with a strong gesture, breathing just a little heavily and grinning. Between the vast power she had confidently displayed and the slightly cracked grin, she honestly looked more like some warlike earth spirit than a small, blind girl. 

 

"Guess I get to take off the kid gloves with  _you,_ don't I?" That was when the entire world seemed to explode all around Hakka, column after column rising from the ground to try and punch him into the air. And even between that, there was danger, for the ground became unstable and swirling between the columns. He found himself forced to dance awkwardly from column to column. Attempting to kick pieces of it back at her was futile. She might not have been able to see the attacks themselves- he was fairly sure by this point, she somehow saw with her feet, but whenever he landed at all, she seemed to have an incredible natural knack for trajectory. 

Hakka couldn't think straight, past simply trying to avoid the attacks.  ** _Who was this girl?_** And if she was training the Avatar in Earthbending ... 

 

Totally absorbed as he was by the Earthbender's attacks, the last thing he expected was being hit by an extremely hard wave of water, that smashed him against the wall. He slumped over, semiconscious at best, unable to see straight at all, but able to dimly hear the prodigy Earthbender vociferously complaining that 'Katara' had ended the height just as it had got 'interesting'. Nursing at least one broken rib, he settled into unconsciousness, knowing that they had lost this battle. At least he'd succeeded in being  _interesting._

 

~.~

 

"No reply yet from the Fire Lord?" Long Feng inquired of his personal secretary, the 'original' Joo Dee. 

 

"No, Director. None whatsoever." She replied placidly. "Do you believe that he did not recieve the message?"

 

Long Feng shook his head. "No. I believe he received it. There is no need to send another one. Thank you, Joo Dee." Long Feng then walked inside his office and sat down at his desk. The Fire Lord was clearly trying to send him a message, most likely that he refused to negotiate with Earth Kingdom interests of any sort. Would he attempt to break his daughter out of prison, or was he content to leave her to rot? While Long Feng was perfectly capable of ruthlessness in his mission to keep peace and order in Ba Sing Se, the Fire Lord's deeds painted a different picture, of an intentionally cruel and sadistic man.

 

From the first time, he had noticed something slightly peculiar about Azula's ambition. She was driven internally, yes, but seemingly externally as well with the desperation of a slave trying to escape the lash. How old was the girl anyway? Fourteen? Fifteen? Five years older, perhaps than his own daughter. He had high hopes for Chu-Hua, of course, like any father, but he would never have sent her into the midst of a war as a teenaged girl. Even the very most gifted Dai Li cadets were not admitted into the organization until they were at least eighteen. It had been an unfortunate necessity that he had found himself fighting children in the person of the Avatar and his friends. He wondered, vaguely, what the world was coming to anyway. Children fighting children. It was despicable and it was precisely the sort of horror that he was trying to prevent in Ba Sing Se. 

 

With the world consumed in a seemingly endless war, the city represented perhaps the last oasis of peace and prosperity in the whole world. Ba Sing Se was virtually self-sufficient, with vast farmlands covered in its outer walls and perhaps half of the Earth Kingdom's manufactories located in the Outer Ring. That was why, now, more than ever, the Dai Li were needed to maintain order and keep control in the city. An urban population of one and a half million could easily support an army of tens of thousands, controlling the world's mightiest fortifications. The army kept external enemies at bay and the Dai Li rooted out and destroyed the internal ones. Together, they were the guardians of the last outpost of real civilization in the entire planet. And now Long Feng controlled them both. 

 

Where did the Fire Nation Princess play into this? As a political bargaining chip, it seemed that her usefulness was dwindling, but as an individual, she had vast potential. It would be a hideous waste to kill her or transform her into a Joo Dee. If somehow, she could be bent, with a combination of threats and promises, she could be an amazing asset. Already, at fourteen, she had proven herself capable of planning and executing a military coup. That she had failed in her ultimate ambition was neither here nor there. He was a master politician in his fourties. He had little doubt that, had she his experience, he would have been the one in a prison cell. And most of all, she was hardened, more so than any girl her age should be, yes, but reality was to be dealt with, not denied. She could make difficult, ruthless decisions easily. He thought again, briefly, about his own daughter. She held promise of her own, but not for the Dai Li's secret police functions. She was too kind a soul and he would not crush her. 

 

But Azula? It was an interesting thought. Enough for him to maintain her, anyway. 

 

End Part III

 

One Fine Afternoon

 

"Now, very carefully lift yourself up with your arms." Ty Lee instructed gently, holding Chu-Hua's legs as the younger girl tried to go from a headstand to a proper handstand. Chu-Hua slowly, but gamely did so. "And just try and keep yourself as straight as you can. And don't worry about falling on your first try! I'll catch you." 

 

Chu-Hua took a deep breath. "I think you can let go." Ty Lee did just that, though she stayed within easy helping range, just in case. The young Earth maiden, however, seemed quite capable of holding the position, and it was a whole seven or eight seconds before she finally started to wobble. Ty Lee duly caught her and she soon made a little roll and returned to her feet. "How was that?" 

 

"Very good!" Ty Lee grinned. "You're learning really fast."

 

Chu-Hua smiled. "We can do it again after snacktime!" Chu-Hua's nanny, a genuine woman, not one of those Joo Dee creatures that Ty Lee found so unnatural and terrifying, came out with snacks for both of them. After the first day, Chu-Hua had insisted that Ty Lee take snacktime with her. It was her habit to eat outside whenever possible, and in a moment, they had a setup not unlike an actual picnic. Ty Lee smiled and took the urn of cool, sweet tea with lemon and poured two glasses of the refreshing beverage, one for Chu-Hua and one for herself. The snack itself was sticky sweet rolls and fresh fruit, and was naturally delicious. Truth be told, Ty Lee somewhat preferred the simpler fare that even the wealthy in the Earth Kingdom seemed to favor over the heavily spiced, often over-elaborate cuisine of Fire Nation nobles. 

 

"Guess what?" Chu-Hua broke the silence with her exclamation, a cheeky little grin on her face. "It's my birthday next week." 

 

Ty Lee smiled. "Oh, that's wonderful! You're probably having a big party with all your friends!" 

Chu-Hua was quieter for a moment. "... well, I'm going to have a party. I don't really know many girls my age. I mean, sometimes I go play with some of the kids of people from Daddy's work, but they're kinda funny around me sometimes. Like, they're nervous or something." 

 

 _Probably because your father is their Supreme Leader,_ Ty Lee thought to herself. In a way, she figured that Chu-Hua was a princess, like, Azula, and princess were often- maybe even usually- lonely. Azula certainly was. Long Feng was a lot nicer, of course, to his daughter than the Fire Lord was to Azula, but keeping her from real friends and real life, with all its bumps and knocks was not going to do her any favours. Ty Lee had ended up escaping from her family and joining a circus for that very reason. Mai had turned to within herself and Azula, well, Azula had got hard. If she was going to be here for a long time, she wanted to try and help make sure that Chu-Hua didn't face those same fates. 

 

"... do you want to come to my party?" Chu-Hua asked quietly. "You can bring your friends too, if you want." She looked up at Ty Lee, looking very, very certain. "But I only want you to go if you want to. I know Daddy makes you come here." She looked away for a moment. "Don't tell him I said that, `kay?" 

 

"He did at first." Ty Lee responded, more sincerely in an emotional sense than in the literal truth of it. "But I like coming here and teaching you acrobatics. I'd be honoured to attend your birthday party, and I'd love for you to meet my friends. One of them is a Princess."

 

"... a real Princess?" Chu-Hua enquired. "Or Daddy's princess, like I am?" 

 

 _You're closer to a princess than you know,_ Ty Lee couldn't help but think. After all, Long Feng controlled the entire city. "Yes. A real Princess. From a land far away. She plays Pai Sho a lot better than I do."

 

"Yeah, you're pretty lousy at Pai Sho." Chu-Hua laughed. "But really, really good at cartwheels and handstands." She promptly gave Ty Lee a hug, which she unhesitatingly returned.

 

~.~

 

Teatime Tomorrow

 

_Princess Azula,_

_I request the honour of your presence for tea tomorrow at three in the afternoon. We have much to discuss._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Long Feng_

 

Azula was a little surprised to receive a letter that seemed to request, rather than demand her presence for tea. It seemed likely, based on the letter, that her father had recieved the message and had opened up negotiations concerning her return. Or perhaps, he'd even demanded it and Long Feng had knuckled under, in which case, Azula reasoned that he would desire to have as good a word from her regarding her treatment as possible. It was even conceivable that they had come to some sort of political arrangement. She took a breath. As much as she wanted to maintain an arrogant attitude, there was the possibility that Long Feng momentarily maintained the upper hand. Her time for vengeance would come. For now, it would be a polite response from her. Putting brush to paper, she began to elegantly pen out her response. 

 

_Long Feng,_

_I would be pleased to have tea with you, and look forward to hearing what you have to say._

_Sincerely,_

_Princess Azula of the Fire Nation_

 

~.~

 

Flirtation? 

 

Mai was sick of this place and had been sick of it ever since she had entered it in that ridiculous Kyoshi Warrior costume, with the makeup that made them all break out. She hadn't even been able to throw a knife since she had entered the place, the guards making sure that she was kept well-clear of any good thrown weapons. Even their food came, for the most part, pre-cut. It was nice to know that she was feared just a little. Though, apparently, not enough, because one of the Dai Li guards insisted on looking at her. She sighed slightly and gave him the best glare that she could muster. But, true enough, there he was, looking at her again. Frankly, Mai wondered why. She wasn't beautiful and charismatic like Azula was, or cute and charming like Ty Lee. She was tall and skinny, lacking curves of any sort and possessed of a slightly unhealthy looking pale complexion. Maybe the local women were so ugly that a plain person like her stood out. It wouldn't surprise her. 

 

"Don't you have anything better to look at?" Mai finally asked the guard, sighing slightly. 

"I'm a guard, and you're my charge. It is my duty to make sure you don't try anything." The Dai Li guard replied. 

 

"Uh huh. Watching isn't quite the same as staring." Mai sighed. "Don't you Earth Kingdom types know staring is rude?"  

 

"I'm actually just a cadet." The guard looked a little embarrassed to be honest. "It's safer for me to pay more attention to you than less." 

 

"That's pretty stupid of you, admitting you're new like that." Mai smirked ever so slightly. "Good thing I don't have my knives or you'd be stuck to the wall." 

 

"But ... you don't." The Dai Li guard looked a little unsteady at that thought. 

 

"You remind me of an ex-boyfriend of mine." Mai said, the tiny smirk fading a little bit. 

"... how so?" The guard asked. 

 

"Zuko was an idiot too. And he always stared at me." Mai rolled her eyes. "Just like you're doing."

 

"Oh. I see." The guard looked even more uncomfortable now. 

 

"But he was a cute idiot." Mai didn't tell him whether or not she also regarded him as a cute idiot. Not that it really meant anything. 

 

Like an Egg

 

Azula had made sure, with the assistance of both Mai and Ty Lee that she was adequately dressed and made up for her tea with the Director. At quarter to three, several guards had shown up, and escorted her to the tea room, where Long Feng sat at the end, looking flawlessly confidant. Azula's expectations sank a little at that sight. She'd seen him, ever so briefly, rattled when the Dai Li had originally hesitated to arrest her. He had nothing of that air now. No doubt the negotiations were ongoing. In that case, she would have to be certain to bring all of her politesse to the conversation. Until arrangements for her return were firm, Long Feng maintained the upper hand. It was a simple strategic fact. She put on her best smile and seated herself across from him. She was a Princess and would not be directed to be seated like some sort of supplicant. 

 

Long Feng looked at her, his eyes and manner betraying virtually nothing of what he was going to say. "I have attempted to get in contact with your father, to negotiate your release. There has been no reply. I sent more than one hawk originally. The message went out as soon as you were in custody." He calmly poured two cups of tea. "I can only conclude that for some reason, your father has refused to send me a reply."

 

"Perhaps he is so angered by what you have done that he is sending a great army or secret agents to come break me out." Azula replied, a little defensively. Something about what he said got under her skin. Perhaps he was lying, but somehow, she got the distinct feeling that he was telling the truth. 

 

"Armies have come and gone from Ba Sing Se many times in its history. We cannot be taken by siege, only by assault and such an effort is high-on impossible. Even if that drill had penetrated the Outer Walls, it would have had to endure attack by an army of tens of thousands. I recieved the reports. You had insufficient forces to follow through and then subsequently take the Inner Walls. Which, I may add, are just as formidable as the Outer Ones. As for secret agents ... they would have to be quite remarkable to escape the notice of my Dai Li. Of which I have several hundred. Neither would return you to him in any reasonable time frame. No, I believe that he has chosen not to reply. Perhaps he is displeased by your failure to take the city in his name." Long Feng sipped his tea. 

 

Azula glared at him, bright gold eyes trying to burn right through him. "What are you implying, Long Feng?" The politesse, the false kindness was gone. This was now a confrontation of words at least, if not actual blows. She wondered if she could kill him before she was stopped by the Dai Li guards surrounding them. Even if she somehow managed to escape- they would undoubtedly find and kill Ty Lee and Mai first. Azula told herself that she stayed her hand for tactical reasons, not simply for the welfare of her friends- her team. Though keeping them alive was to her benefit. They were, after all, her major assets at the moment. 

 

"I was hoping you could enlighten me. Why did your Father banish Prince Zuko? Did he commit some treacherous act?" Long Feng tilted his head slightly. "From what my spies tell me if your brother, that seems very unlikely."

 

Azula glared at him. "I do not see how this is even relevant." 

 

"I have seen, for the six years of your Father's reign, nothing but cruelty and tyranny. He does not rule with a strong hand to maintain peace and prosperity, or even simply his own power. I believe he actually enjoys destruction for its own sake, as its own end. I'm implying that he has abandoned you because you have inconvenienced him." Long Feng finished. 

 

"You lie." Azula growled, tensing up noticeably. "Father would never abandon me." That was complete nonsense. It was strange, yes, that he had not sent a reply, but it was not impossible to contemplate the hawk had been intercepted. 

 

"Tell me why he banished Prince Zuko." Long Feng replied, remaining as calm as ever. 

"Zuzu showed a lack of respect at a war meeting. He questioned the strategic decisions of one of our generals." Azula sneered at him. "And what great revelation is that for you?" 

 

Long Feng took a deep breath. "How old was Zuko? Thirteen, fourteen? He made a foolish, minor mistake out of the arrogance and foolishness of youth. And what did your Father do? He brutally scarred him and then banished him from his country, away from family and friends forever." He allowed a little genuinely felt disgust creep through his voice. "I do not believe it is impossible for a man of such cruelty to up and abandon you for making a strategic error. One that no decent father would ever allow his daughter to make." He took a breath. "How old are you, Azula?" 

 

"Old enough." Azula snarled back. 

 

"You're fourteen? Like your friend Ty Lee?" Long Feng looked at her. "Fourteen years old and your father sends you into a war zone on a mission to capture and possibly even kill your own brother." He took a breath. "And now, when finally, after serving him with every ounce of your heart and soul, you finally have need of his help- he does not even bother to send a reply." 

"You're lying." Azula replied, her voice starting to become shaky. Unlike Long Feng's five seconds of fear, the dread was creeping through her entire being. What if he was right? No, that was impossible. Father was playing some sort of game. She had to remain strong for the Nation, for her Father. _For Daddy_. She did her best to glare Long Feng down, but the Director could not even be bothered to engage her in a staring match. Instead, he almost looked- like he felt sorry for her. 

 

"I think you're smart enough to be able to discern when I am lying, and when I am telling you the very unpleasant truth." Long Feng replied. "You are beginning to realize that you are quite alone here, aren't you? Well, aside from your friends. Which means, of course, that you are only valuable to me in so far as you are useful to me." He sipped his tea calmly. "I understand that you will not immediately feel like proving that usefulness. It is my hope that in the future, you will understand my generosity in allowing you a grace period to get used to your new situation. In one month, Azula, we will have tea again and you will present me with a proposal for how you and your friends can assist me in my work. Nothing about your conditions will change until that time is elapsed, provided you make no efforts to escape." 

 

Long Feng's eyes met hers steadily, and without fear. "And please, do not attempt something so stupid as attempting to kill me where I stand. I've seen your bending prowess, Azula." Without making even the slightest gesture, through sheer will, the stone floor moved and curled itself, almost like liquid, around her wrists and ankles. "It is only fair that you realize mine." Again, without the slightest movement, he manipulated the floor to return back to its state, pristine. But truth be told, Azula barely noticed the display of bending power. She was reeling, mentally, from the increasing realization that, perhaps, her father had abandoned her too. He had always pushed her to be perfect and now she had shown that she was not. She had failed in his eyes and failed again in the presence of this Earth Kingdom swine. She found herself oddly paralyzed as the guards came to take her back to her cell. 

 

As she left, Long Feng smiled thinly, continuing to sip his tea. That small bit of vengeance for his near-humiliation at her hands felt good. Vindicated, Long Feng could proceed with his plan. It remained to be seen how the Princess would continue to react over the coming days and weeks. 

Colours

 

Many Years Ago: 

The strokes were bold, but precise. Up, down. Side to side, a dot, a long, sinuous line, then shorter ones. Concentrating intently, she reached for another brush, the strokes now in red, rather than black. Up, down, again. A pause, a small sigh and then continuing until she reached for the yellow paints. Gold eyes looked intently over the paper, seeing if her work was done. But something was missing. Picking up the paints again, Azula put a fire lily in her mother's hand. Now, it was done and could be exhibited proudly, her developing technique expounded at length. She was so much better at this than hopeless little Zuzu, who 'Stickman Period' seemed to be an eternal one. Grabbing the paper by an unpainted corner, she hopped up and started to briskly walk off to her parent's chambers. 

  
The guards all let her pass deferentially, as they should- she was a Princess, after all. She might have been all of eight years old, but she was still royalty and a being on an entirely different level than they were. Continuing with the paper in hand, she boldly strode on until she saw her Father. Holding the picture aloft, she looked up at her father with expectant eyes.   
  
"It's a picture of Mother! Isn't it the best?"   
  
Ozai looked down at her, his amber eyes darkening at the picture, which he snatched out of her hands. "It is not the place of Fire Nation Princesses to be fussing over paintings. You spend too much time painting, Azula."   
  
Azula looked back up at him, confused, uncomprehending. Her face twitched into a frown. "But I'm good at it!" Azula whined, stamping the floor slightly with her heel. The tiny click of her small boot seemed to echo endlessly into the complete silence of the room.   
  
"I don't want to see you painting any more. You must focus on your firebending and your lessons. It is your destiny to be a leader of our people, not a mere artisan." Suddenly, the paper burned up into ash. "There will be no more of this. Am I clear?" 

"Yes ... yes, Father." 


	2. Chapter Two

Cellmates

 

It had all happened so quickly. They had managed, somehow, to escape the city- possibly let go by the authorities which seemed more concerned about peace and order within than anything else. They'd barely managed to survive the crossing through the Desert, and immediately after having done that, they had stumbled into not a detachment of scouts but a full-fledged armoured division on the move. There had been no point even attempting to fight, but they'd tried anyway. Uncle had actually managed to destroy one of the tanks. But they'd been captured and were promptly moved, with an entire battalion to this hellish place. He'd heard of the Boiling Rock before, but apparently the purpose of the place had changed due to an executive decision. The regular criminals had all been moved out and replaced with traitors and prisoners of war. Zuko supposed it was to keep them away from any potential of doing harm. Nobody escaped the Boiling Rock, and even if they did, it was a long way by sea to anywhere. A sea that the Fire Nation had seized control of in the first few years of the war. 

 

Nobody escaped the Boiling Rock, but he knew that he had to try and figure out a way, somehow. If he could make it back to the Earth Kingdom with Uncle, perhaps they could find another place to hide, in the colonies, until the war was over. Or Zuko could resume his hunt for the Avatar. Or  _something._ Anything was better than being stuck here in this miserable prison for the rest of his life. Even worse, the prison had latterly become overcrowded and it had been ordered that all prisoners were now to be assigned cellmates. Zuko growled lowly at the thought of having to share the already small cell with another person, someone who most likely would not take kindly to sharing their cell with a Fire Nation traitor. He heard the guards coming towards his cell, probably bringing his new cell mate. 

 

"Hey, prisoner." The guard called out, sounding particularly amused. "Stand up, nice and easy. Move to the corner. No funny moves." Zuko glared back and moved towards the corner.

Trying to make a break for it now would probably only get him killed. 

 

"Meet your new cellmate." The second guard said, with a smirk on his face as he led the other prisoner into the cell. 

 

 _A girl._ A girl who immediately fixed him with a glare so withering that he couldn't help but cringe slightly. Though she was much smaller than him, and if anything, rather pretty, he couldn't possibly miss the intensity of that look. Even through the shapeless red prison garb, he could see hints that she was a warrior of some sort. And now that he looked at her a little more, she looked vaguely familiar. 

 

For their part, the guards just laughed and closed the door, making crass jokes amongst themselves. 

 

"... have we met?" He wanted to sound more commanding, but he found himself quite unable to move from that corner.

 

"Yeah. We've met." Her blue eyes narrowed. "You destroyed my village last winter." 

 

"... oh. Um, sorry." Zuko replied, lamely. 

 

"Save your breath." Suki growled at him. "You're lucky I don't kill you." 

 

Zuko sighed at himself. This was going to be a very long and very unpleasant imprisonment. 

 

~.~

 

Tough Love

 

Although the shared accomodations were pleasant enough, they had placed three beds in a single room. Meaning that it was impossible to be alone there. Fortunately, Azula had found the powder room and had promptly managed to hide herself in there, barring up the door with furniture. Curling her knees up tight to her chest, with angry, bitter, humiliated tears threatening to creep out of her eyes, she fixated, relentlessly, on the events of that afternoon. Long Feng had played her like a tsungi horn. She had left that room in an abject mess. But the real killer wasn't that- it was the seed that he had planted in her mind. What if her Father had simply abandoned her? She had failed him after all, and she knew as well as anyone that the Fire Lord did not tolerate incompetence, least of all from his family. She had failed him- why would he want to save her anyway? And if that was true, then she was alone in the world, a Princess without a throne. She didn't have the weight of royal authority, the power of a vast military and strong industry. 

The very worst part of it was the way he had treated her, as if she was nothing but a poor girl who needed pity and sympathy. She growled lowly. She would one day avenge herself for that attitude. Somehow. But, she also wondered what the point even was. 

 

Her desperate thoughts were interrupted by the door being broken down. Mai stood before her, looking down with an intense frown on her features. "Ty Lee told me all about what happened. I didn't expect to find you hiding like a little girl." 

 

Azula's eyes blazed fire and she launched herself to her feet, feeling about ready to tear out Mai's throat. Without her knives, it would have been easy. "... you have no right to speak to me like that!" She snarled, forming fire in her hand. Mai made no move to leave or back down. Her infamously impassive expression was replaced by a look that seemed somewhere between worry and contempt. 

 

"I'm sorry." Mai replied mockingly. "If you want hugs and rainbows, I'll go get Ty Lee." 

"All I want is to be left alone!" Azula growled back. "None of you understand the situation. If Father has abandoned me ..." 

 

Mai crossed her arms. "Oh yes, your Father. Your great and glorious father. Who  _mutilated your brother and banished him from the country._ Your brother who was  _my boyfriend._ He's such a great and glorious man that he has to torture a little boy, and abandon his own daughter. Well guess what, Azula? Daddy's not here and we're on our own." Mai took a breath. "So, are you going to give up or are you going to put some fire in your belly and do something about it?" 

 

Azula glared at Mai. "Oh yes, leave it to you to bring up Zuzu again. He's not here either." She laughed. "Maybe Father's captured him, or he's dead." 

 

"You want me to shut up about Zuko? Shut up about your Father and let's worry about ourselves." Mai replied evenly. Never mind what she thought herself, it was best not to let that out anyway. "So, do you want to curl up in here like a beaten dog or do you want to be useful?" 

 

Azula glowered. "... I ought to kill you for speaking so impudently." 

 

"Yeah, well, I'm a bitch because I care. Come on, go into the bedroom and collect your hugs and rainbows." Mai sighed. 

 

"I won't forget this." Azula insisted, turning away a little bit to wipe her eyes. She left out details as to how she would remember that. Let Mai wonder, it served her right for her impudence. 

 

Fool's Courage

 

The next day, Ty Lee found that her heart was a little less than fully in the gymnastics lessons she was giving Chu-Hua. The whole time, she couldn't help but think about Azula. It seemed unimaginable that her Father would abandon her, but ... Ozai had done more than one unimaginable thing in the past. A man that could mutiliate and banish her own daughter was capable of pretty much anything. Naturally, though she didn't know any of the details, Chu-Hua had picked up on her mood. She'd dodged the questions. A small, petty part of her kind of wanted to tell her everything about the evil things her father had done. But that would do nothing but hurt an innocent girl, and Ty Lee refused. As horrible a man as Long Feng was, she could tell, from his aura and his actions that he really did care for his daughter. His keeping her from most of the rest of the world was just, a way to try and protect her. Nonetheless, she found herself waiting for the Director himself to come and speak to her. 

 

Long Feng entered his personal office and sat down at the desk, facing Ty Lee. "Firstly, you made the right decision by refraining from telling details. However, your attitude remains troubling. It is vitally important that Chu-Hua not suspect that anything untoward is going on. And you've become very dear to her." Too dear, by any reasonable measurement, but the young Fire Nation girl, had, on balance, proven a more positive than a negative influence. She made his daughter happy and that was sufficient. And for Ty Lee, quite necessary. "I do not want her to be troubled." 

 

Ty Lee shook for a moment, not with anxiety or fear but anger. "Fine. I'll act nice and happy for her. I won't tell her that her Father is a bully and a tyrant who likes to push people around. You knew that would hurt Azula, worse than anything could. You knew from your spies that she worshipped her father and the ground he walked on! I bet you suspected all along that he'd do this!" 

 

Long Feng leaned forward slightly, his green eyes meeting Ty Lee's grey ones. His expression remained largely impassive, but his aura darkened slightly and his tone sounded a little more threatening than usual. "I will not have my actions questioned by you, of all people. You would be better served by helping your friend than trying to attack me, as would she." 

 

Ty Lee crossed her arms. "What are you going to do? Turn me into a Joo Dee? Torture and kill me? I'd like to see you explain  _that_ to your daughter. Who is lonely and sad because you keep her away from the entire world."

 

Long Feng's face curled into a deep frown. "I will  _not_ brook criticism of my actions as a parent." 

 

"I think you're looking for revenge. Because you know you were almost beaten by a teenage girl." Ty Lee replied, her tone nearly a growl. "If you know what's good for you, you'll stop pushing her. Because Azula is better and smarter than you'll ever be, and one day she will beat you and you  _know it."_

 

Long Feng suppressed the brief, irrational urge to strike the girl but found himself unable to stop chuckling, a reaction that was if anything, even stranger. "You're a very brave young woman. And a very loyal friend." His tone evened out as the initial anger faded, his aura returning to the dark hazy green it normally was. "I believe that it would be wisest, and the best for Azula, if she agreed to work with me. I think it would be wisest for you to help her towards making that commitment. And of course, by continuing to amuse Chu-Hua. She adores you." 

 

Ty Lee looked down at the ground, flushing angrily. "Is that everything?"

 

"Yes. For now." Long Feng replied, with a false friendliness. "The guards will return you to your rooms." He looked at Ty Lee again. "I no longer care for revenge. If she is prepared to work with me, than I am quite prepared to reward her handsomely for it. And that applies to you and Mai as well." 

 

~.~

 

Training Day

 

Hakka had adopted a punishing training schedule in the days since he had been humiliated by the Earthbender girl underneath Lake Laogai. He wanted to make himself better and stronger, so that if he ever met her again, he could beat her. After all, she wasn't some sort of invincible earth spirit, but a human being and that meant she had weaknesses and vulnerabilities. He would have to become a better, stronger Earthbender, but also a smarter one, to stand a chance against ... Toph. Although he knew, and believed firmly that the Dai Li were a collective organization and was aware of the potential risks of his quest to become, individually, a stronger Earthbender, he believed that the organization also needed a champion, a master Earthbender who could fight and defeat other great masters in single combat. As the top Earthbender in his class and, as Long Feng himself had pointedly commented, the only Dai Li agent to last more than a single minute in single combat with the girl, he was being groomed for that role. 

 

It was a serious responsibility of course, but it was also a honour that he relished. Unlike many of his compatriots, he was not a natural policeman or a spy, but he was extremely good at Earthbending. That talent was what had led to his induction into the family of the Dai Li. And now, he was going to hone that talent to the greatest heights possible. They had located two new masters for him to train with, masters that had their own personal grudge against Toph. From Master Yu, he would learn to manipulate the ground itself, defeating enemies with minimal effort and expenditure of energy. Xin Fu would build his raw strength and driving power. He had already mastered the Dai Li fighting style from Quan Shi, his superior officer, and there had been mysterious promises of yet more masters to train with in the future. 

 

Taking a breath, he stepped into the ring, where both Xin Fu and Master Yu stood, ready to engage him in battle. While it was not a battle to the death, he knew that neither of the two Earthbending masters were going to hold back. And neither was he. The gong for the match began. Xin Fu was the first one to attack, levitating several rocks and kicking them towards him with ferocious force, but higher than he should have, allowing Hakka to easily drop low to the ground and slide along it. However, once he did that, Master Yu attempted to open up the Earth and swallow him in it, with no more than a simple stomping motion. Hakka reached out with his feet and slid right into the trap, but moving right through it and continuing to tunnel through the Earth before emerging much closer to the two men, launching his rock gloves at the two of them to try and get a grip on them. Xin Fu broke the rock glove in midair with a well-timed boulder, while Master Yu simply vanished into the Earth for a moment coming up and quickly punching the rock glove out of the air with a rock pillar. 

 

"Very clever, my boy. But you'll have to do better than that to beat the two of us!" Master Yu cheerfully called out as he tried once again to swallow Hakka within the Earth, at the same time that Xin Fu punched another, enormous boulder at him. This time, Hakka chose a more unorthodox defence, leaping up and landing on top of the flying boulder with the rock boots he favored using himself. Using all of his concentration, all of his strength, he punched outwards at the air and stopped the boulder's momentum. Spreading his fists outward, he flattened the boulder into a floating platform, sending small chunks off of it towards the two masters with a series of rapid punching motions. The two Masters dodged the attacks, with Xin Fu, kicking a series of other large boulders towards him. Knowing that he couldn't simultaneously control his platform and change the motion of the boulders sent towards him, Hakka turned around swiftly, putting himself behind his rock platform and charged as hard as he could. 

 

It worked better than he had hoped. He punched right through Xin Fu's strongest attack. Making a backflip off of his platform, he broke it into a shower of small pieces with his mind, sending them outwards in a massive arc. Hakka grinned to himself. This battle was going so much better ... 

 

Hairbrushing

 

Chu-Hua had been given an elaborate new dress for her birthday, in brilliant hues of green as she had requested. Long Feng had brought in a top cosmetician from one of the city's elite salons to have her hair and such made up for the party. Her guests, and as it turned out, her guests largely consisted of Ty Lee and her two friends were to receive similar treatment before the party. Mai looked positively annoyed at being made up, and even though Ty Lee and the stylists enthusiastically agreed that she looked marvellous, the truth was that Mai frankly preferred being somewhat plain. Being pretty drew attention to herself that she did not particularly desire. Ty Lee usually preferred simplicity as well, but dressing up and having her hair and makeup done by professionals was fun to do, once in awhile. Azula, on the other hand, seemed more like her old self than she had been ever since they had been captured, barking orders to the stylists and looking, by any standard, gorgeous. 

 

However, Azula had given very specific orders that they were not to touch her hair. She had a few stylists in the Fire Nation capital that she had eventually learned to trust with what she judged to be her most stunning feature, but they were not here. Instead, she left the task of washing, brushing and styling her hair to Ty Lee. Although Ty Lee was not a master of elaborate styles, she could be trusted not to ruin the perfection of nature. And, of course, there was another reason that Azula hated having her hair brushed by strangers. She enjoyed it to an embarrassing extent. Normally a fierce, demanding woman, she found herself practically purring as her best friend brushed out her hair. 

 

"I'm really glad that you and Mai are coming to Chu-Hua's party. She's really eager to meet you. Both for being a Princess and because you can actually play Pai Sho." Ty Lee smiled, working the brush. "She's such a sweet, lovely girl. I think you'll like her." 

 

"I do not enjoy small children, Ty Lee." Azula replied, her tone far more relaxed than usual. |Still, it is important that I make the very strong impression with the Director that my breakdown was a temporary phenomenon at best." 

 

"Of course." Ty Lee smiled, continuing to brush her hair. "... you really, really like this, don't you?" 

 

Azula actually blushed slightly. "It's pleasant enough." 

 

"I think you should wear your hair down more often. Your hair is so gorgeous." Ty Lee took a breath. She had very, very nearly said, "like your mother's". It was true, though, she had inherited her mother's hair. Though, come to think of it, her father's hair was pretty impressive too. The Royal Family really knew how to take care of themselves. Sadly, they seemed to know very little or nothing about caring for each other. 

 

"It is not practical." Azula replied with a small sigh. 

 

"Well, isn't it practical to be the most beautiful person you can be? To influence people?" Ty Lee smiled. "I'm not a genius like you, but I do know a thing or two about that sort of thing." 

 

"If you mention a boy, any boy, I will scream." Azula rolled her eyes. "I don't see what's so impressive about them anyway." 

 

Ty Lee continued to brush Azula's hair, tempted to inquire further about that, but really not wanting to push things. Azula was in an unusually good mood as things stood now, and Ty Lee didn't see the sense in ruining that with silly questions. Ones that would probably lead nowhere good, anyway. "I think you should just wear your hair in a very simple style. Fancy hairdos are for people that don't have hair as gorgeous as yours is, anyway." 

 

~.~

 

Happy Birthday, Chu-Hua!

 

Chu-Hua waited in the villa for Ty Lee and her friends to arrive. Some of the children of the Dai Li officials were also there of course, but for the most part, they simply paid their respects and left extravagant presents. When Ty Lee entered the room, Chu-Hua instinctively launched herself at her gymnastics teacher and gave her a big hug. Ty Lee for her part, hugged her back tightly. Stepping back from the hug, Chu-Hua looked up to see Ty Lee's two friends. Both Azula and Mai returned her gaze with a slightly uncertain look. Neither of them were naturals with children. 

"So, which one of you is the Princess?" Chu-Hua asked. They both looked like they could be princesses after all. The tall lady was elegant, and the one with the long dark hair was pretty like a princess should be. 

 

"I am." Mai replied in a deadpan tone, before Azula shot her a glare. Mai sighed loudly. "No, she is." Mai indicated Azula. "She's very knowledgeable about princessly affairs. I'm sure she'd be happy to answer all of your questions." The last statement sounded more amused than anything. Going to a little girl's birthday party sounded like a terrible time, but watching Azula be badgered by a small child whom she was powerless against? Priceless. 

 

"Awesome!" Chu-Hua replied, looking up at Azula. "Is it true that you can make fire? Can I see?" 

 

Azula sighed slightly. If she had to take an arrow for the sake of the plan, so be it. She feigned cheerfulness and planted her best giant smile on her face. "Why yes! Yes I can." And promptly, at that moment, every flickering light in the room suddenly transformed itself into a much brighter blue flame, as she spawned twin orbs of blue flame from each of her outstretched palms. Ty Lee, looking mortified, tried her best to mouth 'You're going to scare her!'. Chu-Hua for her part looked at Azula with wide green eyes. 

 

"That is the coolest thing I have _ever_ seen. Show me another trick!" Chu-Hua grinned. 

 

"I believe that is enough for now ..." Long Feng interjected, making his way to them as the flames went down to normal. "Besides. It's almost time to open your presents." He took his daughter's hand and led her over to where a veritable mountain of boxed and wrapped items had accumulated. Chu-Hua turned back with a grin. 

 

"We're gonna play Pai Sho later, okay? I'm really good!" 

 

Ty Lee smiled at Azula. "Aww, she likes you already! Isn't that nice?" Ty Lee certainly thought it was wonderful. "Doesn't it make you want to have kids of your own one day?"

 

"No." Azula replied. "It does not." 

 

Ty Lee looked particularly disappointed at that for a moment before smiling again. "C'mon, let's see what Earth Kingdom people give kids for birthday presents."

 

"Oooh. How exciting. Can we watch paint dry tomorrow?" Mai rolled her eyes at her exuberant friend. 

 

Only Azula noticed the messenger hawk flying towards Long Feng's villa. She narrowed her eyes a little bit, wondering what the Director was up to now. Her eyes going back to the party, she put on another smile. "Come now, Mai, you're being positively ... ... un-fun. Let us go see what the Earth Kingdom peasants consider to be amusing articles for children." 

 

~.~

Hakka was slightly annoyed that he had been relegated, today, to the task of initial interrogation of prisoners. He felt it was a task slightly below him, particularly with his recent training as the Dai Li's primary Earthbending master, but the usual interrogator was sick with cowchicken pox and he had been slated to fill the gap. After all, the Dai Li was a family and families pitched in to get important work done. He read the roll of individuals taken into custody- most of whom were insignificant. One leaped out slightly at him, though. The code following her name indicated that she was of Fire Nation descent. He looked towards the administrative assistant. 

 

"I want the Fire Nation woman sent in next." Hakka barked out. The administrative assistant, a Joo Dee, smiled blankly at him and went to go fetch her for him. After a few minutes, she returned with two guards and the woman in question. Hakka looked at her for a moment. She was, he assumed, in her early forties or so- very attractive and clearly Fire Nation. Looking at her again for a moment, he realized that she bore a distinct similarity to Long Feng's 'special guest', the Fire Nation Princess. Not precisely the same, it was true- her face was a little longer, but the eyes and the hair were almost eerily similar. 

 

He looked at her for a moment. "Take a seat. Answer all the questions that I ask you truthfully. Admission of any crimes you have committed before accusation nearly always results in reduced sentences, as would any information that you believe could possibly be relevant to us. We shall begin with your name." 

 

"Ying." The woman replied impassively.

 

"You're Fire Nation. What are you doing in Ba Sing Se?" Hakka raised an eyebrow slightly. 

 

"I am of ... mixed descent. I'm a simple refugee, just like tens of thousands of others. I've done nothing wrong." The woman replied, looking down when she mentioned 'mixed descent' and sounding slightly choked at the rest of it. Hakka couldn't help but make a slight sound at that. She could be lying of course, but it was not as if such stories were unique. He watched her carefully. So far, she seemed sincere enough. 

 

"Please. I have two young children ... my husband was lost in the war. Let me go." She seemed like a proud woman, but on the verge of tears. 

 

Still. Hakka couldn't help the curiosity. Leaning forward slightly, he asked the one question that he wanted to know the whole time since he'd first seen her. 

 

"Do you know someone by the name of Azula?" 

 

The woman's eyes widened. "Azula?" 

 

"Mmmhmm. She's in our custody." Hakka then leaned back again. "And now I know you've been lying. So ... why don't you tell me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and maybe, just maybe you'll get to see her." 

 

Ursa cursed herself for the loss of discipline, but if she could go see her daughter, then perhaps it was a blessing in disguise anyway. She hadn't seen either of her children in years and had assumed that she'd never see either of them again. She swallowed, realizing that now, the only viable strategy was to make herself as valuable as possible to the Dai Li. She'd heard about the Dai Li from the White Lotus agents that had helped her along, first to Omashu, and then, when Omashu had fallen, to Ba Sing Se. Unfortunately, her contact on the city side had been severed when the Dai Li had taken over the entire city. 

 

"My real name is Ursa, a former Princess of the Fire Nation. The Princess Azula is my daughter." She looked at him, proud and defiant, now that there was no value in acting like the frightened refugee, an act she despised. She was a proud woman, after all, and one who had done terrible things to protect her children. 

 

Hakka, for his part, immediately got the administrative assistant to have a hawk sent to Long Feng. This could not wait. 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Victory Through Better Astronomy

 

Ozai sipped a glass of sugarwine as he listened to the report from the generals, and interestingly enough, the astronomers. The coming solar Eclipse was a mere eight minutes long- and yet, he would have been shocked if the desperate Earth Kingdom remnant forces didn't try to scratch something together to attempt to capture him on that day. With Ba Sing Se firmly isolationist, Omashu recently captured and the wealthy Jinzhai district long since repopulated with Fire Nation citizens, the Earth Kingdom had no major industrial zones left. Their capacity to resist was being continuously diminished, and yet, the fools continued to resist. He sighed slightly- some days he wished he could simply exterminate their race entirely and start again. At the very least, the thick layer of ashes from their cities and villages would fertilize the fields. 

 

But for now, the battle to be won would be in the Fire Nation itself. A trap would be sprung. Dozens of war balloons and thirteen armoured zeppelins had been prepared to cut off and annihilate the landing forces on the beach once the eclipse was over. Waiting in the wings, in fortified harbours near the Fire Nation capital would be the Seventh Fleet, with three hundred fifty warships available to annihilate any naval forces in the area. In the hills around the capital, seven divisions were posted, including the I. and II. Royal Armoured Divisions. Following the victory on the Day of Black Sun, they would be posted elsewhere, of course- there were troubling rebellions in the southern portion of the Earth Kingdom's occupied territory. 

 

He took another sip of his drink. They probably even thought that he would be surprised by the strike- but the movements of the planets around the sun, and the comings and goings of comets were vital strategic matters for the Fire Nation. He reminded himself to order another message be sent to the warden to make accommodations for more prisoners at the Boiling Rock. He imagined that he was going to have quite a few of them, assuming the fools didn't make some sort of heroic last stand. He looked forward to determining where their home villages were and burning at least some of them to the ground as an example. 

It would, indeed, be a better world without any of them at all. But, Ozai reminded himself, one step at a time. 

 

~.~

 

Reunion

 

Azula was wary of having been summoned to meet Long Feng again, just after a week since he had commissioned her to come up with a plan to assist him with his work. She had suspected that something was up ever since she'd seen that hawk fly to his palace during the birthday party. Long Feng struck her as a man who normally kept up a strong division between his work and his private life. For one of the Dai Li to cross that line indicated to her that something important was up. She wondered what it was that he wanted to speak to her about. She had promised herself that she would never, ever allow herself to be humiliated in her presence again. She needed all her strength and clarity of vision now, more than ever that she could not rely on the resources of the vast Fire Nation military at will. 

 

When she walked into the room, she noticed first that Long Feng wasn't there. Her eyes narrowed, this was not good at all. She immediately and instinctively went into a fighting stance, keeping her position loose enough to easily adapt to any attack. She looked around cautiously, wondering if this was finally the moment where Long Feng had decided she was no longer worth keeping alive.

 

"Your stance is perfect as always." A familiar voice spoke from the back of the room making herself visible. When Azula saw Ursa come out, her eyes bugged out almost like a frog.  _This is not happening. This is impossible._

 

"... if this is some sort of trick, I will kill you, damn the consequences." Azula snarled. "Some Joo Dee made up to look like my mother." 

 

"And how would the Dai Li know what I look like, `Ula? You're letting your emotions get in the way of your logic." Ursa replied, with a small mysterious smile. "I've missed you."

 

Azula glared at her. "Oh, I'm sure. That's why you summarily abandoned us after murdering Grandfather. Not that you ever cared about  _me,_ anyway. You always liked Zuzu best." 

 

Ursa frowned a little. "I'm sorry, `Ula, that I had to leave you. I had no other choice." She frowned a little more. "Why are you here?"

 

"Oh, you know, trying to bring down the government of Ba Sing Se in the name of the Fire Nation." Azula replied snarkily. "You, Mother? No doubt running again. Just like you ran from your crimes back home." 

 

"You say cruel things, wanting to anger me. It won't work." Ursa replied calmly. "I've gone far too long without seeing one of my children to let a few remarks stop me now. Besides, if I'm such a terrible assassin, why, I would think you'd want me around now." 

Azula raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean, Mother? I'm quite capable of handling the situation." 

 

Ursa smiled that small mysterious smile again. "I am suggesting that you may feel more comfortable renewing our relationship, first, as allies." The smile widened slightly and she moved closer to whisper. "The Director thinks this is a coup of sorts. Let's allow him to believe that. What he's really done is put two Fire Nation geniuses together in the same place." 

 

"... very clever. I suppose what he's looking for is a teary reunion." Azula conjectured, looking at her Mother and suddenly going to wipe her eyes. "Mother! I've missed you so much! I thought I'd never see you again!" She launched herself at her mother in a tight hug. 

 

"Oh, my little `Ula .... my little `Ula." Ursa let the tears she'd been holding back fall. If Azula needed to believe that she was acting for now, let her. She'd waited for so long to see one of her children again, she could wait just a little longer to be accepted by her. And she could swear that Azula's slightly stiff embrace softened just a little bit after a moment. 

 

~.~

 

Hugs and Rainbows

 

Azula badly needed a moment away from everything, and she'd gone out to the balcony of their fortified villa, staring out at the vastness of space through the bars enclosing the balcony. First, her father had abandoned her and now her mother, gone for many years, had reentered her life? Everything was turning upside down. What would happen next, would Zuzu show up and rescue all of them? It seemed just about appropriate, given everything. She curled her legs up a little bit and sighed. This was not the way that things were supposed to go, not at all. She was supposed to bring down the city, kill the Avatar, capture Zuko and come back as a hero of the Fire Nation. And now, she was a prisoner of Long Feng, trapped with only a handful of friends and a mysteriously reappearing mother. A mother who had thought she was a monster. 

 

"Hey `Zula. I brought you tea." Ty Lee said, walking in and handing Azula a teacup. 

 

"I'd really rather be alone right now." Azula replied, looking at her friend. 

 

"What if I just sit here and don't say anything?" Ty Lee responded, warm grey eyes wide with concern.

 

Azula nodded slightly. "Okay. As long as you are quiet." She took the tea and sipped. The tea, at least, was nice. Though strangely enough, now that she was here, Azula couldn't help but remember her tea. She'd always thought, deep down, that it was at least as good as Iroh's. The fat buffoon. "... thank you for the tea." 

 

"You're welcome." Ty Lee answered, with a smile. "So ..." 

"You said you'd be quiet, Ty Lee." Azula rolled her eyes slightly. "So, yes, I saw my Mother again for the first time in six years. And I don't know what to think or feel about that. I suppose I'll figure it all out in time." 

 

Ty Lee reached out a hand and put it on Azula's shoulder, rubbing a little. "Of course you will. You're the smartest person I know." She smiled warmly at her best friend. 

 

Azula looked at her for a moment. "You're so certain of that. I mean, of course, you should be. I am quite brilliant ... but thank you. For your faith in me." 

 

Ty Lee practically beamed. "That's pretty much the first time you've ever really thanked me for anything." Oh geez, did she just say that out loud? She sighed internally. Even worse, she now realized that she was blushing. 

 

"I suppose that I have been somewhat unnecessarily harsh in the past towards you and Mai." Azula sighed slightly. "You've both proven your loyalty. Even if Mai is annoyingly sarcastic about it at times." 

 

"She's pretty sarcastic, yeah." Ty Lee chuckled a little bit. "You know, we've ... I think this has been weirdly good for us. As friends, and as people." She stopped laughing and then looked at Azula. "Please don't close your heart to your Mother. She loves you so much, I know she does. I can't even imagine how much she must ache from six years without seeing either of her children." 

 

"It's not that simple, Ty Lee." Azula replied, without giving a definitive answer either way. Not that she was capable of giving that answer, either way. She sighed again. "I knew this would happen. You just can't stay quiet. How long before the hugs and rainbows?" 

 

Ty Lee answered that the only way she could, by hugging her friend tightly. Azula sighed quietly before relaxing into the hug. There was no point in resisting anyway, as she'd learned. If Ty Lee wanted to hug you, you were getting hugged. Slightly awkwardly, she put her arms around Ty Lee and hugged her back. And as much as she didn't want to acknowledge the point, Azula was increasingly realizing that she needed that hug. 

 

"I can't make rainbows, silly. But you can have a hug any time you want." Ty Lee smiled and continued hugging her. 

 

End Part IX

 

The Proposal

 

Azula had written Long Feng, a mere two weeks after being commissioned to bring a proposal forward for his consideration to tell him that she had put some ideas together and wished to talk to him about them over tea. Long Feng had accepted and the next day, he waited for Azula to come in from his desk. This time, the Fire Nation Princess seemed quite confidant, a little smile playing at her features. None of the instability he had seen a mere two weeks ago seemed evident at all. He was not terribly surprised of course, that the girl was so resilent, but it was pleasing to see nonetheless. After all, he wanted her as an asset to the Dai Li and himself, not as some emotional wreck to be disposed of through some means or another. He poured the tea himself this time, letting her take the cup as she sat down.

 

"I'm pleased that you have come to see me well before the deadline I set. I appreciate initiative." Long Feng opened up, speaking mildly. "How are things with your dear Mother?"

 

"They are well." Azula replied. "But we're not here to talk about that." A small smile played across her face. "To begin with, I am very knowledgeable about Fire Nation strategy and tactics, both on the broad level and of course, in the martial technique of Firebenders. I am, after all, one of the greatest Firebenders in the entire world. A very skilled and powerful warrior with years of experience and training in politics and the military. I hear you are training a champion of sorts, a master Earthbender within your ranks."

 

Long Feng smiled slightly. "You heard? So you've been attempting to spy on us the whole time?"

 

"My resources are limited, true, but not absent. My best friend happens to be very well-acquainted with your daughter. Who hears all sorts of things whispered casually between agents who don't think to quiet themselves around her. Chu-Hua confides everything in Ty Lee. And one of our guards has taken quite a fondness to Mai. Amazing what a pretty girl will do to one's vows of secrecy." Azula smiled. "With a little intuition, it's easy enough to piece quite a lot together."

 

Long Feng leaned back slightly, picking up his teacup and taking a long sip. So she hadn't been inactive at all. Very good. He knew that the girl had enormous potential- and he was also aware that he was playing a somewhat risky game. But all the really strong cards were still his. "His name is Hakka. He's proven himself to be quite an expert Earthbender and he's been training with multiple masters of the form."

 

"But what if, one day, Hakka has to fight a Firebender? Wouldn't it be best that he train with the best of them?" Azula smiled slightly. "And I must admit, my being cries out for a good fight. It's been too long since I've been able to really use my firebending. You do not understand how it makes the blood boil." Her smile widened. "I'm a born warrior, Long Feng. All Firebenders are, really. That's why we've been winning the war despite being outnumbered four to one. We have the single-minded drive to succeed. It's a trait that I think you can identify with. And one that, perhaps, you feel is lacking a little bit in your organization. Perhaps this ... Hakka has that quality as well." Azula sipped her tea and then set it down.

 

"Perhaps if he is so remarkable, he can learn something from seeing a master Firebender at work. Who knows, Long Feng, perhaps I might even learn something." She grinned. "And I'm only beginning to hint at my worth."

 

Tea and Confrontation

Ursa found herself sitting in the tea room quietly with Mai and Ty Lee, who were both watching her very curiously, no doubt wanting to ask several questions. She sipped her tea and waited for one of them, any of them to break the slightly awkward silence.

 

Mai was the first one to speak up. "So. Do you feel bad about leaving your son all alone with a psychopathic father?"

 

Ty Lee audibly gasped at the question, nearly dropping her teacup. Ursa calmly set down her teacup. "Ty Lee, darling. Please leave the room. Now." Ty Lee shook for a moment, but duly did as she was asked. With Ty Lee gone, Ursa narrowed her eyes and got up to walk over to Mai, slapping her across the face.

 

"How dare you? How dare you?" Ursa snarled, glaring at Mai viciously. "I tried so, so hard to bring my babies with me, both of them. But there was nothing I could do. I did what I did to protect Zuko. To save his very life. So I will not near another remark like that again. Do you hear me?"

 

Mai looked up at Ursa for a moment, rubbing her cheek. "I guess you don't know, do you. That side of my face you just slapped? Zuko's scarred across most of it. Ozai mutilated him and then banished him from the country. I haven't seen him in years either." Her face screwed up a bit. "So yeah, forgive me if I'm a little hesitant to be entirely happy to see you."

 

Ursa's face drained of all colour and she looked nearly faint upon her feet before steadying herself. "... he scarred and banished Zuko?"

 

"Yes." Mai responded, her voice becoming quavery. "I don't even know if he can see out of that eye. We ... we were going to be together. And then Ozai banished him. And now he's written off his daughter. That's why she's still here and not on her way back to the Fire Nation."

 

Ursa's face had shifted, from indignant anger to something akin to murderous rage. She was going to kill that son of a bitch. She swore that to herself quietly. She would stay and play Long Feng's little political games for now, but one day she was going to break free, go to the Fire Nation and kill Ozai. One day. As soon as her children were safe. She looked up from her bloody thoughts to see Mai, looking away and shaking slightly. "I ... if I could have taken them, I would have, Mai." She took a deep breath. "You want revenge on Ozai as well?"

 

"Yes." Mai responded with a shuddery breath. "I want that bastard to die."

 

"As soon as I know Zuko and the three of you are safe." Ursa responded. "He will die. I will kill him myself."

 

"Don't make it too fast." Mai answered.

 

Entering the Ring

 

The challenge had been issued the day before, to meet at dawn. Hakka had accepted the challenge unhesistantly and strode out to the combat pitch at midnight, as Azula had specifically requested. He wondered why she'd done that, because he knew for a fact that Firebenders were stronger during the day. No matter, it was what she had requested and he had accepted. If she was to gain any advantage from it, then all the power to her. He had to look to his own resources anyway. The Princess had not come into the pitch yet, so he was alone for the moment. In a box, to the upper right, the Director himself, Long Feng sat, alongside three women, one older, two younger. The Princess's mother and her two friends. All around him were several Dai Li agents, many of which had broken their usual iron discipline to cheer for their man. He couldn't help a small smile at that. As much as he knew that he was only a part of a greater machine, it was gratifying to hear a little adulation. Perhaps this is how the champions at the Earth Rumble competitions felt. 

 

Taking a deep breath, he watched as his opponent entered the ring. It was a little strange to be fighting another girl, but one look at the fire and war in Azula's eyes and he knew this was going to be the fight of his life. The steely resolve of her posture only confirmed it. She was obviously looking to prove herself in front of Long Feng and the assembled Dai Li. There was also something else about her, that commanded attention. The cheering for Hakka stopped and the room had gone dead quiet. It was that primal magnetism that Azula possessed one so strong it had held the entire Dai Li in its grip for seconds before the Director had snapped them back to reality. Hakka knew that Long Feng was aiming to have this young woman join their family. It had seemed like an odd decision on his part, but now that he was faced with her, he could see very easily why he had made that decision. 

 

But he could admire her presence another day. He narrowed his eyes. This was combat. He had handily defeated both Master Yu and Xin Fu and stood his ground against the Blind Master. Azula was certainly a formidable opponent, but so was he. He stood up straight, taking a fighting stance. It was easy to see from there that he towered over her physically, standing a full half a foot taller than her, even though she was fairly tall for a young woman. Their eyes met and neither yielded. 

 

The Duellists

 

Azula saw Hakka on the other end of the large combat pitch. He was tall and well-muscled, taking on a stance that, while seemingly as solid as a brick wall, suggested that he was swift and mobile as well. Strong and fast as he may have been, though, Azula knew that the real realm of war was in the mind. And in that, she was certain, she held the advantage. All of the shocks and concerns of the last weeks faded from her mind as she focused herself singlehanded on the task at hand. She took a deep breath. The gong was rung and the battle began. She smiled slightly at the Earthbender. 

 

"No doubt you're wondering why I asked that this battle be held at midnight." Azula smirked at him, beginning to circle deliberately. 

 

"Not really." Hakka answered not quite sincerely, kicking several large rocks in her general direction before making a long, low sweep and sending a five-foot tall and fifteen-foot wide earthwave at her. It wasn't quite true, but he didn't care enough to let her distract him with rambling. This was a battle, perhaps not to the death, but far from a casual sparring match either. 

Azula brought her hands down in a swift motion and blasted herself a stunning fifty feet in the air, before landing to his side and sending several fireballs towards him, blows which he dodged with a wall of Earth, and attempted to counter by sending her into the ground. But she managed to leap out of the way, ten feet in the air even without the fire rocket, which he had no idea that firebenders could even do. It took only a few minutes for Hakka to realize that she was the faster, more agile opponent of the two. For all of his training and ability in that direction, as she continued to move about the battlefield, she virtually seemed to be in more than one place at once. The actual attacks were controlled, more like exploratory jabs than a full onslaught. 

 

"I'll tell you why, Hakka." Azula grinned, blasting herself into the air, right onto the VIP box.

 

"Hello Mother." She grinned before leaping back into the air and blasting out in midair, punching at the air rapidly, sending several blades of blue flame towards him before making a controlled landing, which she turned seamlessly into a triple sweep kick, each one sending out spreading arcs of blue flame that seemed to blast right through the first earthwave he sent to stop them. A second, larger one managed to stop them. He mentally noted that the blue flame seemed to be particularly good at cutting or blasting through the rock that he sent towards him, a formidable advantage in her favor. Still, the entire combat pitch was his to control and send at her and he stomped the ground several times, causing a wide-spreading Earthquake that threatened to topple her before she promptly used her rocket blasting to circle around its edges. 

 

"Then tell me and don't waste my time." Hakka replied, creating a thick wall right where she was headed towards. Azula stopped swiftly, stopping and allowing the blue flame from the blast to smash into the wall. She grinned slightly at him and made a sinuous movement before firing a lightning blast towards him, forked and devious, that blasted the stone wall he had put up to protect himself to bits and sent him flying. He managed, a little gracelessly, to make a landing on his feet with his rock boots. 

 

"Because I knew that the ring would have to be lit up with torches." Azula grinned savagely and with a commanding gesture, every single source of flame in the room turned blue and migrated out towards him in tendril after tendril of flame. Too many to dodge conventionally. Hakka dove hard at the ground and came back up in a suit of rock armour, hoping that it would provide adequate protection against the fiery whips. He knew, though, that if he was to have any chance at all, he needed to break her control of the flames in the room. Rocking back and then forward as if rowing a boat, but much, much harder and faster, he sent a colossal earthwave towards her. Then, he broke off his armour and bound the rocks together into a solid mass, a floating platform. 

 

Azula found herself struggling to vault over the earthwave, which crashed into the moat between them and the assembled audience. The next thing she knew, Hakka had put himself on some sort of platform, and was assembling countless small rocks into arcing patterns around him. For a second, her eyes widened. She had never seen a bender of any sort do something quite like that before. That he had been selected as a champion for the Dai Li was not surprising at all. She immediately focused, however, on creating a fire shield around herself, hoping it was strong enough to block out the barrage when it came. 

 

And the barrage did come, like the driving rain. Azula gritted her teath at the effort of holding the fiery shield and then, with a roar more suited to a saber-toothed moose lion than to a teenaged girl, she pushed the shield outwards, vast quantities of burning blazing energy directly towards Hakka. Knowing that she couldn't pause, she began to dance, in sinuous, but swift movements, generating powerful lightning blasts, as forked and wicked as she could manage. She noticed the Earthbender struggling underneath the onslaught, his flying platform destroyed, unable to take the offensive underneath the barrage. Azula grinned and blasted herself towards him. Perhaps now he would be ready to yield. 

 

Hakka hit the ground hard but picked himself up immediately and growled as the girl came towards him. He was not going to let himself be defeated, not that easily. The punching motion that he made was directly at her chest, the rock projection hitting her cleanly, knocking her off her feet and sending her to the ground, hard, gasping for breath and clutching her ribs. He walked towards her on an earthwave. The audience had become virtually silent. He looked down at her. She'd fought well, and perhaps, another day, she would have emerged victorious. 

 

"Yield. You're hurt." 

 

Azula looked up at him, blood liberally gushing from what was obviously a broken nose from the landing, with the untamed ferocity of a wounded tigerdillo. She snarled. "Never." She moved so quickly that it was a blur to him, not with firebending, but with a simple kick, aimed between his legs. The blow hit with horrid force and Hakka's world exploded in agony. He didn't even feel his feet leave the ground, struck so hard that he had actually been lifted three inches off the ground. He landed, in too much pain to even scream, and swiftly passed out. Azula, for her part, got up to her feet shakily and looked at Long Feng. "I told you. Firebenders always win." The next second, she, along with her opponent, fainted into unconsciousness.

 

End Part X

 

In The Aftermath

 

Azula woke up, groggily and in considerable pain to find her mother sitting beside her bed, looking decidedly worried. Azula tried to sit up, but found that the pain was making that task decidedly difficult and she chose to stay lying down for the moment. She turned over and looked at her mother for a moment. Azula wondered if she had been there the whole time she was out. 

"How long have I been out?" Azula asked, brushing her nose slightly to see that it was in a cast. So he had broken it after all. Hopefully the doctors had not botched setting it. She could not abide the notion of being permanently disfigured. 

 

"You've been in and out a little bit, but it's the next day." Ursa replied. "... I had no idea that that was going to happen. I would not have permitted it."

Azula shot her a little bit of a look. "You don't have the power to forbid me from doing anything here. If you want so badly to be my mother, you will have to earn it first." She sighed. "All the same, I suppose I should thank you for staying here."

 

"I  had to force Ty Lee to get some rest. She kept me company almost the whole time." Ursa smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're treating her better now.  You couldn't have found a better friend than her." 

 

"She's proven herself to me." Azula replied. She looked at Ursa for a long moment before  speaking. "When I was a child, you thought I was a horrid little monster. You said so. What has changed now." 

 

"Oh, `Ula." Ursa replied, smiling a little sadly. "I never thought you were a monster. You did terrible things, you were sometimes very mean to Zuko and your friends. If I called you a little monster once, it was because I was frustrated. I love both you and Zuko, very much. I hope ..." She smiled a little. "I hope that soon, we can all be reunited." 

 

Azula sighed. "What makes you think that I wish to be reunited with Zuzu, of all people? And besides, he's probably been captured by Father anyway." 

 

Ursa closed her eyes for a moment. "I fear you may be right." She sighed. "You shouldn't write your brother off, `Ula. He has so much to give. He's smarter than you think he is, and good and just besides." 

 

"I think being good is a debatable virtue at best." Azula sat up, ignoring the pain from that for a moment. She looked at her. "He's an idealist." She tilted her head slightly. "In his own way, I suppose Father is an idealist too. So that leaves us, doesn't it? The schemers, the pragmatists." 

Ursa actually smiled in response. "Yes. We have more in common than you believe, my daughter." 

 

Azula managed a small smile. "It seems so." 

 

~.~

 

The Day of Black Sun

The Avatar and his group of followers had given it their utmost effort, but in the end, they had been overwhelmed , with almost the entire force brought to surrender. Sadly, the Avatar and his closest followers had managed to slip away on Appa but the remaining prisoner bag was an interesting lot. There were fewer troops involved in the landing than Ozai had suspected, only five or six hundred in total, but they included a wide variety of Earthbenders of all sorts, a motley band of Waterbenders that claimed to be from some sort of infernal swamp and a sizable contingent of warriors from the Southern Water Tribe, that probably made up most of the male population of that  nearly extinct culture. Ozai reminded himself that, at some point in the future, when the fleet had recovered from its enormous losses from that fool Zhao's crusade against the North Pole, to recommission the Southern Raiders to finish that extinction. After all, if the  Avatar ever happened to be slain, he would simply be reborn as a Waterbender. One day, they would move again against the North and slaughter them as well. 

 

Ozai took a deep breath. It was time to begin the preparations for his strike against the Earth Kingdom on the day of Sozin's Comet. He did not have time to destroy all the Earth Kingdom of course, but he would move against the Wulong Valley just north of the forest, possibly the kingdom's most heavily populated and fertile rural district for his primary thrust.  Something like one-fifth of all the Earth Kingdom's rice was grown there, much of the rest of the Earth Kingdom's foodstuffs already being grown for the benefit of the homeland.  That would be the primary attack. However, he also had another target. Ba Sing Se, the capital. Only a single zeppelin would attack the Earth Kingdom capital, but it would possess a secret weapon of unimaginable destructive power. 

 

His name was Ran Shao, and he possessed firebending power of a unique and devastating form that not even Ozai could replicate. The silent titan of a man stood before his Lord, seemingly half made of metal, his face completely impassive. 

 

"You understand then, the nature of your mission? You will annihilate the capital city of the Earth Kingdom. Sozin's Comet will be overhead, so your powers will be increased to an unimaginable extent. Upon successful devastation of the city, you shall be given riches beyond your wildest dreams and have your name written forever in the history of our Nation, as a great hero of our people." Ozai smiled slightly. "I trust that your nerve will not fail?" 

 

Ran Shao shook his head. He had never yet failed on a commission, and just because this one involved levelling an entire city didn't mean that he would let that record drop.  The Earth Kingdom capital would burn, Ran Shao would collect his reward and then, he would move on to the next assignment. Money was always a good thing, but the pride of a job well done, and the thrill of the hunt was always more important to him. One day, perhaps someone would even hire him to destroy the Fire Lord. That would be a worthy challenge for his talents. But for now, he had been hired. He never betrayed an employer until the mission was done. 

 

~.~

 

Bitter Defeat

 

Hakka winced in pain as the doctor finished the examination. Thankfully, Quan Shi had been able to use his unique talents to repair the fractured pelvis and one of the other damage, miraculously, would be permanent, though the doctors admitted there was more than a slight chance that he would be permanently sterile from the blow. The pain was agonizing enough, but the knowledge of being defeated through a simple mistake burned even more. Not that he  particularly craved vengeance against Azula- she had done as any intelligent warrior would have done, and the likelihood was that they would ultimately end up working together, anyway. But he knew that he could never allow himself to believe a fight was finished before hand again. The result would have been no better against Toph, whom he did feel the urge to  have a rematch with and defeat. Perhaps one day he would have that chance. 

The Director, Long Feng, had not been pleased with the results of that battle. Two of his most valuable assets had been seriously injured and would be unfit for combat for some time, at least a few weeks for Hakka. Hakka had not spoken up against Long Feng, but he knew for a fact that Long Feng was not a natural warrior, no matter how skilled an Earthbender he was. His talents were essentially political- he knew nothing of the rush of battle. Azula on the other hand, was a born warrior, who had amply proven how dangerous  and powerful she was in front of all the gathered Dai Li, defeating their champion in a hard-won victory. No doubt the Princess was happy enough about the result. Hakka, on the other hand, wanted to immediately go back into training. 

 

However, he had been forbidden to start training again until Long Feng himself gave permission for him to do so. So he found himself sulking in an infirmary bed, like some sort of cripple. The fact that he had very nearly been crippled for real didn't change his extreme annoyance at being cashiered. He growled to no one in particular and closed his eyes, hoping perhaps that sleep would come and deliver him from this annoyance, at least temporarily. 

 

End Part XI

 

A Calm Discussion

 

"Let me be ... perfectly clear about this to both of you." Long Feng began, looking at Azula and then Hakka in the eye in succession. "There will be no more battles of this nature. And I fully expect that any grudges that either of you possess against the other will not persist. I will not have my two best benders killing each other. Do you understand?"

 

Azula crossed her arms slightly, bristling at the implications of subordination, but said nothing directly. Hakka, for his part, simply nodded his agreement, and then, thinking better of that, simply said 'Yes, Director'. They both still looked slightly the worse for wear from their confrontation, though fortunately, neither of them possessed any permanent injuries. Long Feng took a small breath and looked between the two of them again. 

 

"I am going to leave this room for a few moments. If you have anything you wish to settle with each other- verbally, I recommend you do it now. I will expect the two of you to be working together in the future." Long Feng got up and calmly departed the room, arms crossed behind his back. Azula couldn't help but notice that the Director was not actually walking, but seemed to be levitating himself- rock shoes? It made her wonder just how powerful a bender he actually was- aside from one small display weeks ago, she had never seen Long Feng attempt Earthbending. As he departed the room, the Fire Nation princess turned towards her opponent of some days ago. 

 

"I suppose we are to have some form of ... settlement. The truth be told, I do not feel a particularly strong grudge. You have solid technique and had good luck that day." Azula smiled thinly. "For your sake, I will not be looking for a rematch."

 

Hakka simply raised his eyebrow at that. "Luck?" He then shrugged slightly, quite prepared to drop it. He knew even from the limited time they had spent together that Azula was a notoriously arrogant individual. "You fought impressively. I've never seen someone quite so agile on a battlefield before." Not surprising, really, because Earthbending favored solidity and defence to mobility and offence. It had been an extremely hard-fought battle and a near-victory for him- whether or not the Princess actually wished to acknowledge that was her concern. 

 

Azula looked at him. "Don't get any crazy ideas about being my equal, Hakka. You might be a very good Earthbender, but you and I exist on completely different levels."

 

"Maybe. Then again, I'm more likely to make it to my next birthday alive by not playing political games. I've got nothing personal against you, Princess, but if you try anything against the Dai Li or the Director, I will not hesitate." Hakka said, without anger or rancor, simply stating what he viewed to be facts. "And next time, neither will anyone else." 

 

Azula turned away, her face somewhat red.  _Perhaps, Hakka, one day we will have to fight again. And I won't hesistate to destroy you either._

 

~.~

 

Rainshowers

 

Chu-Hua looked out the window at the rainstorm, pouting slightly. "Looks like lessons are not gonna happen today, huh?"

 

Ty Lee peered out herself. "Doesn't look like it. Sorry." She offered a little smile. "But I'm sure we can still do something fun! What about painting? Maybe we could do that." 

 

Chu-Hua smiled slightly. "That's a good idea! Wen can go get us some paints!" She bounced off to go tell the maid to fetch them paints, and it wasn't long before paints and paper were laid out. Chu-Hua found herself intensely focusing on her picture, taking her time to calculate and choose the different colours and brushes she wanted to work with. Ty Lee couldn't help but smile at her effort.

 

"What are you painting?" Ty Lee asked, her smile soft and warm, before peering at the picture a little bit more. "Is that me?" 

 

"Uh huh!" Chu-Hua exclaimed brightly. "You're teaching me how to do flips! And Daddy's gonna be over there, and so are your friends! Do you like it?" Chu-Hua asked her, eyes bright. 

"It looks really good! Wow. You're better than I am." Ty Lee laughed slightly, and looking at her own effort. That wasn't really a remark intended to make Chu-Hua feel better, it was pretty much the truth. Every time she tried to draw or paint something normal, it tended to fail really spectacularly. Chu-Hua peeked over. "That's okay! I practice lots." 

 

"I can see! It looks lovely. I really like how you do the flips! It looks like we're actually moving." Ty Lee grinned. "Oh! You should see Azula paint. She's so good. Well, she was ... she doesn't really paint any more." 

 

Chu-Hua frowned slightly. "Why not?" She shuffled a little closer to her friend. "Especially if she's good at it." 

 

"It's a bit of a long story ..." Ty Lee answered. 

 

"You like her a lot, don't you?" Chu-Hua asked, while quietly making the brushstrokes for Azula. 

 

"We're best friends! Of course I do!" Ty Lee answered. Chu-Hua set down the brush and looked at her for a moment, as if not quite accepting the answer at face value but not really knowing what the alternative to that was, and then she promptly set herself back to her drawing. "She's not as nice as you are. She's really smart though, and really, really good at Pai Sho." 

 

"Azula ... Azula doesn't warm to people easily." Ty Lee sighed a little bit. "She's had to be very strong almost her whole life." She smiled a little bit. "She is smart and she can play Pai Sho better than anyone I know." Ty Lee sighed again and went back to her painting. Radiating outwards from her head, she drew a brilliant pink aura, though she knew that right now at least, it wasn't quite as brilliant as it could be. _Ugh_.  _Ever since that horrible fight, I've been wallowing in negativity._ It was going to destroy her complexion soon, she just knew it. 

 

"What's that you're drawing?" Chu-Hua asked Ty Lee. She looked up and saw her friend's eyes and reached out instinctively for her hand. "Are you okay?"

 

"It's just been a rough week. I'll be fine." Ty Lee smiled back, though it was noticeably worn.  _No, darling, your father almost had my best friend who I might be falling in love with almost killed in some horrible bending duel. And I'm still a prisoner._ Thankfully, though, she said none of those things- it would have been the height of cruelty to say anything like that to the girl, who was in no way at all to blame for what happened. "It's an aura." 

 

"What are auras?" Chu-Hua looked up. "I don't see pink lights around you."

 

"Well ... I don't think too many people can see them. But everyone has one. Everyone's aura is a unique colour to them, and it gets brighter or darker, weaker or stronger depending on how people feel." Ty Lee smiled. "Your aura is a very bright yellow, like a buttercup. Mine's pink. Azula's is a very deep scarlet. Mai's is kinda greyish." 

 

"What colour is Daddy?" Chu-Hua smiled. "Is he all green, like the Dai Li?" 

 

"Yes. Very Green." Very green ... very dark and very hazy. It was not all that easy for Ty Lee to get a good read on the Director, which was something that she didn't like very much at all. 

 

"Nice." Chu-Hua answered, seeming satisfied with that answer. 

 

~.~

 

Mother Bear

Ursa hunched down, looking at the Dai Li guard with a careful gaze and holding a knife carefully to his throat. "Don't attempt any Earthbending, or I will kill you." She whispered in his ear. "I have nothing ... so trust me, when I say that I have nothing to lose. You are going to help me send out a few messenger hawks. Cooperate and don't whisper a word and you can live the next day. I know that you have literally hundreds of messenger hawks. No one will miss a few more. I will come back every three days, looking for answers. And don't even think of trying to blackmail me. They may find me ... and they might kill me, but I promise you, I will drag you down with me." 

 

The terrified guard at first struggled but found himself bound in an inescapable grip. "I will not ask you again. Are we clear?" 

 

The guard gulped slightly and felt just the tiniest nick in his skin from the blade that Ursa was holding to his throat. "Yes ... we're clear." 

  
"Good." Ursa replied. "You are going to send messages to the following people ..." She knew in her guts that one day soon, that Ozai's regime would fall and she wanted to make sure she had reliable people she could trust in place for when that happened. She had nothing left but her children, and she would gladly die, and kill, for them. After all, she had done it before. And once you were pushed far enough, killing was a very easy thing to do. It was something she hoped her children would never learn. 

 

Jailbreak

 

The Warden of the Boiling Rock had believed that his prison was secure against all threats, even considering the enormous overcrowding that had transformed the once orderly prison into something far more akin to a concentration camp. The Fire Lord had insisted that prisoners of war, be kept as far away as possible from the heartland of the Fire Nation, and thus, it had fallen to him to keep order over perhaps a few thousand of the most dangerous enemies of the Nation, including all of the prisoners taken on the Day of Black Sun. It was a belief that had been rudely shattered only yesterday as a coordinated prison uprising had taken control of the entire facility. The guards were overpowered by the prisoners, many of whom were seasoned warriors and powerful benders. He himself had found himself summarily captured by a mere girl, who was keeping watch over him with the traitor Prince. 

 

"So ... how that we've got the Warden and worked together and all that." Zuko started, with what appeared to be a complete lack of social graces. "Do you think you can forgive me for what I did last winter?" 

 

Suki took a deep breath. "You really don't know how to talk to people, do you?" She rolled her eyes. "You must really be a hit with the ladies." 

 

"Yeah, I've heard that before." Zuko answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're gonna find Sokka after we get out of here, right?" 

 

"Yes." Suki answered. She looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was getting at. "What's your point, Zuko?" 

 

"The Avatar needs a Firebending teacher. Uncle's going to leave to gather the Order of the White Lotus and whatever other forces will join him. I think I can teach Aang Firebending." Zuko looked right back at Suki. "And I ... I really need a character reference." 

 

Suki laughed slightly. "You want me to vouch for you, Zuko? You, who burned down my village only months ago?" 

 

"The Avatar needs to learn Firebending, or it'll be game over. The Comet is coming soon. Really soon." Zuko replied, with a bit of a glare. "Or would you rather have Aang go and fight the Fire Lord without knowing any Firebending at all?" 

 

Suki sighed and glared right back at him. "Fine. But only because I think you're right. But if you ever even think about hurting any of my friends, well, you  _won't_ live long enough to regret it." 

 

"... Thanks. I think." Zuko trailed off a little bit, feeling sightly uneasy in the face of that glare. 

The Warden, for his part, wanted to die. It was bad enough that he had been completely humiliated, without having to also listen to the traitor prince's inane conversation with the girl. He just hoped he wouldn't try hitting on her or something. Some things were just too painful to watch. 

 

~.~

 

New Orders

 

Grand Commander Togo, the supreme commander of all Fire Nation forces in the Earth Kingdom, had new orders delivered to him straight from Fire Lord Ozai. It appeared the Fire Lord wanted the ring of Fire Nation troops around Ba Sing Se to be relaxed even more, and exploratory attacks in the Wulong area to cease. Instead, terror attacks were to be employed in all other districts of the Occupied Territories, where there was not a significant Fire Nation civilian presence, with the goal of driving as many Earth Kingdom citizens into Ba Sing Se and the Wulong Province as possible. Togo briefly wondered why the Fire Lord meant to do that until he read further, to the announcement of the Fire Lord's strategy for taking advantage of the coming of Sozin's Comet. 

 

A massive zeppelin fleet would enter Wulong Province and burn it to the ground, killing hundreds of thousands or possibly even millions of Earth Kingdom citizens if the timing was executed perfectly, while a zeppelin containing what was only described as a 'unique' weapon would devastate the capital city of Ba Sing Se. With the Wulong District, the last major unoccupied agricultral area of the Earth Kingdom destroyed and with the capital devastated, the Earth Kingdom would be denied of perhaps half of its industry and something like a third of its food supply. With a situation of dearth already widespread in most of the unoccupied Earth Kingdom outside of Ba Sing Se, it would produce famine on a vast scale. Afterwards, mobile forces were to strike deep into the Earth Kingdom for the sole purpose of stealing and destroying resources. The goal, as Ozai had set forth was to murder or starve at least five million Earth Kingdom citizens in the first year, and then aim to kill two million more each year, while using inducements and incentives back home to increase the birthrate and the colonization efforts. 

The goal, as Ozai had set forth, was to eliminate approximatly forty of the fifty-five million citizens of the Earth Kingdom over the next generation or so, and keep alive a small population of ten or fifteen million to serve as cheap industrial or agricultural labour. 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Long Feng sipped a cup of tea as he looked into the fireplace. He was aware that the flood of refugees to Ba Sing Se had increased lately, with thousands coming every day. It was becoming too much for the system to easily accomodate, but at the same time, it was virtually impossible to turn them down. He was aware from his sources that the Fire Nation was waging a terror campaign against civilians in virtually every province of the Earth Kingdom, including some that had been long-occupied by the Fire Nation. Clearly, they were attempting to drive the population from those lands, but towards what end? Was the Fire Lord's goal to create chaos in the city? It certainly put him in an awkward position. He might even have to resort to allowing the construction of a tent city in the agricultural zone surrounding the city to accomodate all the desperate civilians. 

 

Quan Shi entered the room, noticing the Director looking uncommonly reflective. "Is something the matter, Sir?" 

 

"I feel that we are reaching a critical time in the history of our city. How are the Dai Li on the ground handling the situation?" Long Feng inquired of his newly minded Assistant Director. 

"Well enough, but we are feeling the strain, Sir. I recommend that we promote the top half performers of our recruit class immediately to being full agents. That will give us a little extra manpower to weather the situation." Quan Shi answered. 

 

"Do you think fifty or sixty new agents would make a major difference, Quan Shi?" Long Feng raised his eyebrow slightly. 

 

"I am not certain, sir. If this is a passing phenomenon, yes. But if the Fire Lord intends to be doing this as a policy from now on, we might face some very difficult choices, Sir." Quan Shi sighed. "Our resources here are vast, sir, but they are not infinite." 

 

"No." Long Feng replied. "They are not. Promote the recruits. We shall tailor further action to the necessities of the situation."

 

"Yes sir." Quan Shi answered. 

 

"You are dismissed." Long Feng nodded at him to go. With his subordinate gone, Long Feng felt himself acutely alone. Ba Sing Se was his city and now that the danger to it felt palpable, he was beginning to realize the sheer scope of that responsibility. The population of the city was now edging close to the two million mark. He took a deep breath, and decided that he would go see what Azula had to say, at least, theoretically. If nothing else, the girl was a sharp tactician. And it was, after all, why he really wanted her to work with him anyway. Quan Shi was a loyal and able subordinate, but he lacked the instinct that the leader of the Dai Li needed to have. Chu-Hua, his dearest girl, didn't have the consitution to be a Dai Li agent at all, and he wanted to keep her away from that grave responsibility anyway. 

 

The Gathering of the White Lotus

 

The White Lotus gathered together on a small island, near the Fire Nation borders. On the surface of it, it seemed foolish that they would attempt to, once again, attack the Fire Nation capital, but the army that had captured the troops on the Day of Black Sun had largely been dispersed throughout the Earth Kingdom. No one was expecting another strike to seize and secure the capital, to be timed with Aang's defeat of the Fire Lord on the coming of the Comet. White Lotus spies within the Fire Nation military had informed General Iroh of the Fire Lord's plans, which would come to fruition in a few mere weeks. Along with the Masters of the White Lotus was a ragtag army composed of Earth Kingdom detachments that had largely been devoid of central command since Ba Sing Se had fallen to the Dai Li. A large Omashu militia, gathered from the recently returned citizens of the city was also there, led by their King Bumi. Filling out their numbers were the prisoners of war that had been liberated from the Boiling Rock, both the veterans of the Day of Black Sun and others that had been trapped in the prison for even longer. 

Leading the attack to secure the Fire Nation capital would be Grand Lotus Iroh, and his nephew, Prince Zuko, the future and rightful heir of the Fire Nation.

 

For most of the men and women present, who sat on the Dragon Throne made little difference- they simply wanted the seemingly eternal war to be over. Many of the troops had not seen their families in years, and did not even know if they were all right. If they had to throw themselves into the breach one more time to end the war, then so be it. In the meantime, they had time to prepare for the coming fight and get to know each other. It was a stupendous accomplishment- the White Lotus had not been fully gathered in over a thousand years, and it had been nearly that long since another force so diverse had ever assembled. It was a given that they would still be outnumbered and in for the fight of their lives, but if their sacrifice meant the end to a century-long war, so be it. 

 

~.~

 

Outbreak

 

The outbreak of cowpig fever started in the overcrowded refugee areas that had been hastily set up outside the Outer Ring of the City, and despite efforts to stop it, the disease began to spread rapidly within the city itself. Cowpig fever was a common illness in the Earth Kingdom, and few people ever died of it, but within a few days of the first cases, it was clear that there was a full-blown epidemic, with literally hundreds of thousands of cases. The illness spread into the Middle and then the Upper Rings, sending vast portions of the bureaucrats, officers and merchants to their sickbeds along with their employees. While most of the people huddled in the refugee areas had contracted the illness before, pockets of refugees from more isolated areas of the Earth Kingdom had not. Those who had not ever had the cowpig fever before suffered far worse, and a great many of them died in the first few days and weeks of the epidemic. 

The contagion spread to the very upper echelons of power in the city. Long Feng himself, who seemed to have the constitution of an Komodo rhino, was unaffected by the disease, though his immediate subordinate, Quan Shi, had been sent to his sickbed, as had his personal secretary. Far more troubling to him, his daughter, Chu-Hua, had been stricken badly by the illness and required the regular attention of doctors. With the disease infecting between an eighth and a fifth of the city's entire population, the economy and society had been virtually shut down. True, disorder had not yet become a serious risk- people were simply staying inside in an attempt to stop the spread of the illness. And thankfully, it was cowpig fever and not more a more deadly illness- though Long Feng knew well that, even with mortality at slightly below one out of a hundred, thousands were likely to die in the outbreak. It galled him slightly to consider further that this was probably exactly what the Fire Lord was hoping for. 

 

There was nothing else to do other than to shut down the city and pray that the outbreak would finish soon and that recovery would not take too long. Long Feng glowered slightly. The forces of nature, unfortunately, were something beyond even his control. There was nothing that could be done but to attempt to quarantine and treat the ill, bury the dead and try to keep essential services and security in something like working order. That, and maintain extra watchfulness at the frontiers of the city, because he knew well that this would be a very good time for the Fire Lord to make a move on the city. 

 

~.~

 

This Note's For You

 

Chin sat himself at his usual guard post, waiting for his favorite prisoner to pass by as she usually did. They'd spoken before, and she'd once even called him a 'cute idiot'. But now, he'd got ahold of intelligence information that he knew she should hear. In a way, he didn't really want to tell her. But she deserved to know, and he didn't see any harm in her knowing it from a security perspective. 

 

"... oh, it's you again. I don't really have time for another boring conversation." Mai sighed and started on her way. 

 

"Hey. I have something you should know." Chin replied, looking unusually earnest, unlike his previous miserable attempts at flirtation with the elegant Fire Nation noble. "It's about Prince Zuko, you know, your old boyfriend." 

 

Mai stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face him. "What? You'd better not be trying anything." She glared at him. 

 

"... he's free. Broke out of some prison somewhere in the Fire Nation. We intercepted hawks from the Fire Nation saying he was at large." Chin said. "I don't know anything else, but I thought you should know that. Since you know, you seem kinda, I dunno, hung up on him?" 

Mai sighed slightly. "Oh please. Don't get stupid and melodramatic about this." She shrugged. "Thanks, I guess." 

 

She reached up to wipe her eye. Stupid allergies- there was clearly something in the summer air here that was aggravating them. Mai couldn't help but wonder when, if she'd get to see Zuko again, and what would even happen then. It had been years since they'd last seen each other. While they had called each other 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' then, they'd only been thirteen. What did it really mean, anyway? It meant he was alive. That was something- whatever happened afterwards would happen. 

 

Care and Comfort

 

"... Ty Lee. You came." Chu-Hua smiled slightly, despite feeling somehow both feverish and chilly at the same time. The girl lay in amidst what seemed like a sea of blankets. The doctors hadn't told her much of anything of course, but it wasn't difficult to see that the girl was terribly sick. Not that Ty Lee would stop visiting her on account of it. She sat down next to the girl's bed and took her hand. She could feel the  _chi_ of the young girl, still flowing, but struggling, and less strong than it normally was. The yellow aura above her head looked slightly wilted. Trying not to let the obvious signs of the girl's illness get to her too much, Ty Lee smiled back. 

 

"I'm sorry we can't do more acrobatics this week." Ty Lee smiled. "Hopefully you'll feel strong enough next week." 

 

"I hope so." Chu-Hua replied. "You gonna teach me to walk on my hands?"

 

"Anything you want." Ty Lee answered, smiling warmly at the girl, trying not to let any negative energy from her thoughts affect the girl's own  _chi._ She needed all the positivity she could get right now. "Is there anything you need?" 

 

"... some water, please." Chu-Hua answered. "And maybe a story." 

 

Ty Lee went to the pitcher of water and poured a glass, helping the girl drink carefully before letting her sink back into her bed. "I think I know just the story. It's about a princess, her best friend and an angry sabre-toothed moose lion." 

 

Just as Ty Lee was getting to the thrilling climax of the story, she noticed that her young friend had fallen asleep. Smiling slightly, Ty Lee made sure she was properly tucked into bed and quietly left the room so the young girl could sleep. The more rest she could get, the better. As she was leaving, she saw Long Feng quietly talking to several doctors. She couldn't help but stop for a moment and watch him. She could tell from her readings that Chu-Hua would almost certainly be all right in a week or two, but she also knew that it wasn't easy for a parent to simply accept the medical facts. The cunning Director that had outwitted and imprisoned them looked so ... human, worn from overwork and worried about his young daughter. By all rights, Ty Lee should have hated him, but she couldn't her heart going out to him just a little, in that moment. 

 

~.~

 

The Sickness

 

At first, Azula was fairly sure that she simply had some sort of headache, and it would go away promptly and she could get on with her training exercises. She had done just that, working with several Dai Li agents, until Hakka, of all people, had stopped the exercise because it was clear that the Princess was not well. When she began shouting at him, indignantly, it was with a ghostly pale face and a miserably raging fever. Thirty seconds later, she had literally fainted onto the ground, murmuring strange, disconnected lines about her parents, her friends and turtleducks. Immediately brought to the Dai Li infirmary, it was clear that the Princess was suffering from cowpig fever. After fetching and consulting with her mother and friends, it had become clear that the Princess had never had the disease before. 

 

By the end of the day, Azula's condition had remained grim and she continued to murmur almost incomprehensible phrases in a feverish delirium. The Earth Kingdom doctors, unfamiliar with firebenders, had never before treated a fever so high- she burned so hot that it was almost painful to actually touch her. And despite the scorching heat of her illness, the Princess was frequently overtaken with shivering fits, as if she were dying from cold. 

 

"... she can't be dying." Ursa frowned at the doctors. "I won't allow it." 

 

"We do not know, Lady. We are unfamiliar with the presentation of the disease in firebenders. But I cannot say that the signs are encouraging. Her fever would have killed most people from the Earth Kingdom already." The doctor took a quiet breath. "The best we can do is try to cool her down and keep her hydrated, and wait for the fever to break." Though he tried to keep his tone neutral, it was clear that his prognosis was rather grim. 

 

"There has to be something." Ursa growled, grabbing the doctor's wrist so hard he swore he could feel his bones grind against each other. "I have not waited for six years to see my baby daughter again to lose her after a few weeks. Don't you dare give up. Or you'll find out just how appropriate my name is." 

 

The doctor gulped audibly, looking at his compatriot, realizing that the exiled Princess meant business. They soon left the room, to try and work out remedies and procedures to help the young Princess along. If nothing else, they had no desire, now, to look like they were inactive in her treatment. With them gone, momentarily, from the room, Ursa looked back towards her daughter. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling boiling hot tears of her own run down her cheeks. 

 

"Don't you give up either." She leaned in close to kiss her daughter's forehead. "Firebenders always win. Always." 

 

~.~

 

Shadows In The Night

 

They came in the air, using gliders that had originally been created by the Mechanist when he had been manufacturing weapons for the Fire Nation, now adapted for mass production. Dressed in black and hand-picked for their mastery of the black arts of sabotage and espionage, they were the elite spies and saboteurs of the Fire Nation. Wearing specially tinted lenses that masked their eyes, from grey, brown or amber, to green and made up like citizens of the city, their mission was to spread around the city, already teetering on the edge from disease and long years of war and tyranny, and stoke the flames to a frenzy. The Fire Lord's orders had been specific. He wanted terror to come before death for the citizens of Ba Sing Se. Landing quietly in the city, they began their work, finding supply depots, local supply barracks and attempting to, before, they were found and killed. All the men knew that their chances of survival were almost nil- they had been promised that their families would be lavishly taken care of and, once the victory had been won, their names and deeds written in the annals of history. 

 

The three dozen fanned out around the city, fouling water supplies, destroying supply depots and killing regular police, military patrols and even Dai Li agents where they found them. It was not long, of course, before the Dai Li gave chase themselves and the city became a deadly game of cat and mouse. Only two of the Shadow Serpent agents would be alive and uncaptured by the rising of the sun, but in their wake, they had left considerable destruction. And along with the destruction, the unmistakable fact that the Dai Li were not invulnerable and could not protect the inhabitants of the city against all threats. 

 

Fear, as insidious and as deadly as any fever, began to rage through the city. 

 

End Part XV

Sozin's Comet is now ten days away. 

 

Family and Friends

 

"... so, I guess that means, technically, we're related." Aang whistled slightly, some moments after hearing Iroh tell the story of Avatar Roku and Fire Lord Sozin, turning to his once-enemy and far more recent Firebending teacher, perhaps even friend. The idea of being, in a spiritual sense, Zuko's great-grandfather was just about the strangest thing he'd ever been told in a lifetime that had more than its fair share of strange discoveries. Still, somehow, something felt oddly right about it. It explained a lot about Zuko. 

 

"Yeah. I guess so." Zuko replied, taking a deep breath. "I ... I shouldn't be accepting this so easily. But something about it makes sense." 

 

"It casts light on the struggle you've faced throughout most of your life?" Aang replied. Zuko looked towards his young student, who regularly amazed him with his wisdom, despite being a few months shy of his thirteenth birthday. Zuko supposed that it had a lot to do with Aang being the Avatar, though, he didn't really know how much being the Avatar affected Aang's personality. Aang smiled slightly. "I think it's best if we don't worry about the being spiritually related thing too much. I'm a kid." His smile turned into a wide grin. "I'd rather have a friend than a grandkid. Especially a grandkid who spent much of the last year chasing and trying to capture me." 

 

Zuko couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah." His smile faded. "Now get into the sparring circle." The smile returned but this time as a grin of a slightly less cheerful nature than Aang's. "Let's see what you've retained of your Firebending lessons so far."

 

Aang sprang to his feet with a powerful gust of wind and made his way to the sparring circle, where he struck a pose. Zuko followed him, his own stance slightly looser, with the new-found confidence that his encounter with the two dragons and his incorporation of a new bending style had given him. Just as he was about to begin the sparring, Aang spoke up, interrupting him. 

"... I just realized this means that Azula is related to me too." Aang seemed to be more than a little disturbed by that fact. 

 

"My sympathies. No more interruptions." Zuko smirked slightly, though his stance remained as combat-ready as ever. "And no cheating this time. If you do one move of any other type of bending, I will make you do hot squats until sundown. Now ... hit me with your best shot." 

 

~.~ 

 

Between Life and Death

 

Azula woke up in a strange, grey place. The relentless fever that had crept up upon her and made her collapse seemed replaced by an omnipresent chill, not unsurvivable, but distinctly unpleasant. She could not place a finger upon it, but something about this place felt unnatural. She stood up and looked around at the place, amazed at its sheer featurelessness and overwhelming, oppressive _greyness_. Even darkness would have been somehow consoling, made wherever she was stand as something. She crossed her arms, trying to discern some feature, any feature. Figuring there was no point in remaining still, Azula began to walk along the cool ground. After several minutes, she looked around again, and this time saw a faint, grey shadow.

 

She immediately spun around, taking a fighting stance. "Who are you?" Her eyes narrowed at the shadowy form. "And where am I? If you know anything, you'd best tell me."

 

"Gladly, child." The shady apparition formed into form of an old man, dressed in traditional Fire Nation noble clothing, tall and slightly severe, though his eyes glowed with a kindly light. Something about the shape of his face seemed distinctly familiar, though Azula could not place it precisely. "Come with me, and I will tell you all that you desire to know, and more besides." 

 

Azula hesitated a moment and then nodded. "It seems I have little choice at the moment. Attempt anything and the next breath you take will be your last." 

 

The old man smiled slightly. "I have no intention to harm you." The smile faded, replaced by a far more serious cast of face. "It is important that we do not linger here, though. We have no time to waste." 

 

"Then we shall speak as we walk. Who are you?" Azula turned towards the old man, who smiled thinly. The more she looked at him, the more something seemed familiar about him. It was no matter though- his kindly demeanour was likely some sort of charade anyway. 

"I am Roku." The old man replied. "Your mother's grandfather." 

 

The eyes widened and immediately Azula spun around. "You lie. Roku was the last Avatar before the Airbender, and a traitor to his Nation." She attempted to attack him with a lightning bolt, that would have slew him instantly. But, to her horror, nothing came out. Now that she was actually aware of the fact, she could not feel the fire in her belly or the power of the Sun at her fingertips. She looked up at the old man, who seemed more pitying than angry at her attempt to slay him. "You've taken away my firebending." 

 

"There is nothing here to bend, dear child." Roku replied. "You are caught between Life and Death. Very rarely, when this happens, your spirit gains access to a small part of the Spirit World. It happened to your Uncle some years ago, not long after he lost his son at Ba Sing Se. Perhaps your experience here will be as transformational for you as it was for Iroh."

 

Azula snarled slightly in contempt. "I consider that unlikely. If what you say is right, Iroh entered the Spirit World as a fool and left it as a buffoon." Her eyes locked with his. "It seems that I am not able to kill you, spirit, but trust me when I say that I will take away from this experience only that will make me wiser and more powerful. I have great plans for my future. I have no intention of transforming." 

 

"The Spirit World is not an army you can command, nor a city you can manipulate." Roku replied evenly. "With that small warning in mind, let us begin. We have little time before you must return." 

 

~.~ 

 

Despair

 

In the months since they had been captured and imprisoned, Ty Lee hadn't allowed any of their experiences to dampen her spirits. She had managed to find joy in trying circumstances, making friends and strengthening ties with old ones in her time here. But now, with Azula on death's door- and she didn't need the doctors to tell her that, she could tell by the aura, by the weakened and sluggish chi flowing through her friend's body, that her situation was dire, and with the situation in the city becoming more and more uneven and chaotic, the stress, fatigue and sickness darkening everyone's auras around her, she had finally cracked. She'd simply found herself the quietest, most secluded corner of the rooms that they had been allotted and started crying. Normally, when she cried, she could actually feel the tears cleansing and healing her, and in a short time, she would be right as rain. But this time, the tears came until there were no more and her emotions remained as dark and fragile as they had before. 

 

If Azula died, what were they going to do? She was their leader, Ty Lee's best friend and ... well, a little more than that, really. She was also the obvious linchpin of whatever game Long Feng was playing with them. Without Azula, what would happen to both of them? To Ursa? Perhaps it wouldn't even come to that- the situation in the city had declined and the miasmic force of two million darkened auras crippled her normal resolve, and, at the same time, gave her a splitting migraine headache.  _Azula can't die. We all have to live, and get out of the city together. Ursa and Mai need to see Zuko ..._ mere days ago, she'd believed in those things as infallible truth. They would get their freedom, Ursa would be reunited with her children, Mai would get her Prince, and well ... one day, maybe, Ty Lee would get her Princess. Now, though, everything just seemed so impossible, ridiculous even to contemplate. 

 

"You look horrible." Mai said, in her typical deadpan tone, before handing Ty Lee a silk handkerchief.

 

"Oh Mai. What are we going to do?" Ty Lee answered, despondently, taking the tissue and wiping her eyes. "... I don't know if she's going to make it, Mai. I really don't. She's so weak. I can barely see  _any_ fire in her aura." 

 

"We do the only thing we can do. Wait, hope or pray or whatever, and don't give up." Mai replied, a little sharply. "You don't get to give up. Not in the one time where all of us could actually use a little bit of your absurd cheerfulness." Although her tone had begun as a rebuke, it ended up sounding almost a little desperate. There was no doubting, at all, that Ty Lee possessed more emotional strength than the rest of them put together. It was frequently annoying, but there was little doubting that the cheerful acrobat had done a lot to sustain them all. 

 

Ty Lee sniffled a little. "... what if I don't ..." She looked away. 

 

"Oh please ... don't go all Ember Island melodrama. It's pretty obvious that you love her." Mai rolled her eyes. "Azula only hasn't figured it out because she's an emotional retard." 

 

"... she's, not ... overly emotionally perceptive." Ty Lee chuckled slightly, though there was little mirth in it, but mostly anxiety. "It doesn't matter." She wiped at her eyes again. "I mean, it does matter, but what matters is that we're there for her, I guess. That is ... if the city doesn't collapse first. All the emotional negativity is giving me the worst headache." 

 

Mai sighed. "Apparently cowpig fever starts with a headache. You'd better not be getting sick on me too. Then I'm stuck with Zuko's Mom. Awkward." 

 

Ty Lee shook her head. "Oh, I don't get sick. If I feel my chi is off, I just cleanse it and I'm right as rain." 

 

Mai stared at her for a moment. "... you what?" 

 

"... you didn't think I just learned how to paralyze people and take away their bending, did you?" Ty Lee looked right back at her friend. "I was taught to master my own chi, and recognize its flow in other people. That's why I can see auras, and block people's chi flows. It's a complete physical and spiritual discipline." 

 

"So you mean you're not just crazy and weird?" Mai smirked slightly. "Because nobody believes you about auras." 

 

"Yeah. I know." Ty Lee laughed slightly, once again. "That's okay."

Mai sighed and put her arms around her friend. "We'll be fine, okay? Agni, don't make me become some sort of sunny optimist." 

 

Ty Lee hugged her friend back tightly. "That would be terrifying. And besides, I like you just the way you are."

 

End Part XVI

Sozin's Comet is now seven days away. 

 

Questions

"Who are you?" 

  
"Princess Azula of the Fire Nation." 

 

"But you have been disowned by your father, and banned from the Fire Nation." 

 

"... I will return one day, and I will regain my titles and honor. With or without Father's blessing." 

 

"Honor? That sounds like your brother, Zuko. But you're not answering the question. You're speaking in terms of titles and positions, not about who you are." 

 

"I don't have time for this philosophical nonsense." 

 

"I asked you who you were. That is not 'nonsense'. Would you prefer another question?" 

 

"... yes." 

 

"What do you want?" 

 

"Power. I want to conquer the city, like I had originally set out to do. And return to the Fire Nation in glory. And one day, to rule the Fire Nation, win the war and rule the world." 

 

"Is that what you truly desire, or is it a means to an end for you? Do you feel you need to prove yourself? To your Father, to the Dai Li?" 

 

"I need to prove myself to no one."

 

"You hesistated, Azula." 

 

"You breathe too much into this, old fool." 

 

"Perhaps. I do not think so, however. Would you like to hear the third question?" 

 

"... no. But I have the feeling you'll ask me anyway."

 

"Where are you going?" 

 

"Out of here, soon." 

 

"Our time is drawing to an end. We will meet again." 

 

~.~

 

Awakening

 

Gold eyes sluggishly opened, and as the initial blur settled down into sharper and clearer images, Azula could see her mother and Ty Lee sitting by the bed. At first she tried to sit up, but a sudden rush of dizziness made it clear that such a thing was not happening right away. She still felt horrid and feverish, though now at least her thoughts were not lost to delirium. Both Ursa and Ty Lee smiled at her and she could not help but smile back slightly. 

 

"You would not believe where I have just been." Azula spoke, her voice hushed and rawer than she would have preferred. "Maybe I'll even tell both of you about it one day." 

 

"It's good to see you again." Ty Lee replied, taking Azula's hand and giving it a squeeze. Tears began to flow down her eyes. Her mother was positively beaming, the first time that Azula had seen her mother truly smile since they had been reunited. Giving Ty Lee's hand as much of a squeeze as she could manage, she turned her attention towards Ursa. 

 

"Spare me the melodrama, Mother. I am still fragile and can only tolerate so much of it." Azula smirked slightly. 

 

"Oh, so you're awake. Good. You cannot even imagine how annoying it was, between having to look after these two in your absence." Mai stated, in her typical deadpan voice as she entered the room. "Get better soon, so I don't have to deal with it any more." 

 

"It is good to know you're still your insufferable self." Azula replied, rolling her eyes. "I am exhausted and intend to sleep." 

 

~.~

 

Coronation

 

From this day, Ozai would no longer be known as the Fire Lord, the sole and absolute monarch of the Fire Nation, but rather as the Phoenix King, the ruler of the entire planet. He stood before his soldiers in his royal regalia, proclaiming the inevitable end of the Earth Kingdom, of the Water Tribes, to be consigned to extinction just like the Air Nomads had been annhiliated so long ago by his ancestor Sozin. In three days, they would take the next great step to completing the agenda that had been set forth by Sozin- the conquest of the world, and then, its purification in blood, steel and fire. Amid the roaring cheers of his soldiers, Ozai barely noticed that he was completely alone up on the podium. In his quest for power, Ozai had abandoned his entire family and left them to rot. 

 

Azula, with any luck, would be wiped from the memory of the Fire Nation at Ba Sing Se. Zuko and Iroh, who had recently escaped, would have to be hunted down and slaughtered. As for his old wife, he was unsure of her location, but he would one day find her too. She would assuredly be the last to die- he wanted first, to confront her with the death of their children. After all, she hadn't even murdered old Azulon for him. She had done it for Zuko. It was something that Ozai had learned very early in his life, that if he wanted something done for him, he would have to do it himself. No one was reliable in the end, not his wife, not his children, not even his subjects.

 

Perhaps one day, he would have to destroy them as well. 

 


	5. Chapter Five

Before the Storm, I

 

"It looks like everything is in order, Uncle." Zuko looked over everything. "This is quite a force we have." 

 

"Make no mistake, Nephew ..." Iroh began, sipping a cup of jasmine tea, "It will be a very long and difficult day ahead of us. The Firebenders will be more powerful than ever, and we have few of them in our own ranks. Though, of course, we make up for our lack of quantity with quality." He chuckled softly. "I have not fought alongside Jeong Jeong in many years." He put his hand up on his nephew's shoulder. "It will be a great honor to fight the last battle of a long career with you, my nephew." 

 

Zuko nodded quietly and then suddenly caught Iroh in a hug. "It will be an honor to fight alongside you, Uncle. I know that we will find victory. And put an end to this war." Parting from the hug, he took a bit of a breath. "What happens after the war? You can't just go back to the Jasmine Dragon, with Ba Sing Se conquered by the Dai Li." 

 

"I hope that one day, not too long from now, I will be able to open a tea shop and forget these cares. But I will be here for you, at your side, should you need my advice, or to be beaten at a game of Pai Sho." Iroh smiled. "Being the Fire Lord is an awesome responsibility, and you should not have to face it alone." 

 

Zuko nodded quietly. "Thank you, Uncle. I won't let you down." 

 

"I know you won't, Zuko." Iroh smiled. "But you will never, ever beat me at Pai Sho." 

 

~.~ 

 

Before the Storm, II. 

 

"I can't do it, Momo. I can't take a life." Aang looked at his faithful companion, who chittered back at him. "The monks taught me that all life is sacred. Even the life of someone like Ozai. Everyone else expects me to, but I need to find another way. There has to be another way." He looked at Momo for another moment, sighing. "I don't suppose you have any ideas? Because my past lives sure don't seem to." 

 

Momo chirruped and curled up along Aang's shoulder. Aang sighed slightly, reaching up to pet Momo's head. "That's okay." If Momo wasn't exactly a source of age-old wisdom, at least he was a good friend. "I guess I don't have very long to find that other idea, do I. Come on, let's see where we are, at least." Aang picked up his staff and went up to Momo to look up from the tops of the trees. 

 

~.~

 

The Storm Comes, I. 

 

Unrest in Ba Sing Se had continued through the last week, with the citizens being increasingly uncooperative and restless, heaping abuse upon any Dai Li or police agents they saw and engaging in petty acts of insubordination. The supply situation had deteriorated considerably due to the sabotage of the Shadow Serpents. While starvation was not a serious risk- the summer harvest would come in a month and there were enough supplies to last until that time, Long Feng had ordered rationing efforts be made until the harvest replenished supplies. The imposition of rationing, the first time such a thing had happened in centuries for Ba Sing Se, seemed to touch a nerve in the population. There had been raids on thirteen supply depots in the city so far, and a number of craftsmen's guilds had begun to go on strike. Arrests had gone up by 350%, precisely when the manpower of the Dai Li was severely reduced by the continuing cowpig fever epidemic. To top everything off, an unseasonable heat wave had hit the city, driving up temperatures to uncomfortable levels for the city's inhabitants. Even Long Feng himself had taken to wearing lighter robes in an effort to stay cool. 

 

For the handful of Fire Nation people in his custody, however, the heat was if anything, welcome. It was a well-known fact of course, that the Fire Nation was far hotter than the Earth Kingdom, but it was still faintly disturbing to see them flourish in the heat. Even the Princess, who had only a few days ago been virtually at death's door had recovered astonishingly quickly, and had resumed some of her training duties. He had not personally spoken to her since she had come down with the fever, but the reports from the agents had noticed something a little different about her, hard to quantify exactly, but different nonetheless. 

 

More immediately troubling to him was the subtle, but sure signs of fissures amongst the Dai Li themselves. Most of the Dai Li truly believed that they were serving the city and the Earth Kingdom in their actions, and that perception was essential to supporting the organization. Now that the Dai Li were finding themselves more and more opposed to the will of the general populace, their beliefs were being tested and challenged in ways that they had never had them tested before. Even his most loyal lieutenants were beginning to mumble amongst themselves. Of course, not every complaint from a weary, tired man should be taken as an imminent threat, but it was clear that his iron grip over the city was loosening. He sipped his tea. The coming weeks would be critical. 

 

~.~

 

The Storm Comes, II. 

 

The zeppelin fleet had left the Fire Nation capital towards the rendezvous point on a small island near Wulong Province, where they would focus their attack. One zeppelin, however, had peeled off from the main fleet and continued travelling north, towards Ba Sing Se. Hanging off off of the prow of the zeppelin, looking at the Earth Kingdom going by him, one village at a time, Ran Shao had not spoken a single word to the crew since he had joined their ship, speaking only in occasional grunts of assent, nods and head shakes. The almost total muteness of the titan, his metal limbs and the whispered legends of his terrifying prowess ensured that the crew left him a wide berth. When they passed by a mountain range, where one of the few sizable Earth Kingdom forces not yet destroyed by the Fire Nation military had held out, the zeppelin came under fire from a handful of Earthbenders. Ran Shao looked down at them. Mere gnats. 

 

He took a breath, feeling the power flowing through his body, rising from his belly up to his head and then, in a moment of perfect concentration and focus, let the energy flow, the almost invisible beam fired from the symbol on his head, making contact and immediately destroying the Earthbenders harassing them. Taking a less purposeful breath, he looked around to see if there were any more of the insects about. Meanwhile, the zeppelin continued flying towards Ba Sing Se and his next job. The rest of the crew watched the display, their jaws dropped. If the titan could wreak such destruction now, what would happen at Ba Sing Se? 

 

Part XVIII, Fin. 

Sozin's Comet Arrives In less than 24 Hours. 

 

Sunder the Heavens with Fire

 

Miles above the sky, the Great Comet roared closer and closer to the world. It had gone by many names in its history, the Sword of Agni, from its fiery trail, Huo Li's Comet, from when an ancient Fire Nation Avatar had harnessed its power to defeat an Earth Kingdom tyrant several millennia ago, and now, Sozin's Comet, the harbinger of annihilation for the Fire Nation's enemies. Even now, every Firebender in the world felt a little stronger, a little more alive. Even Fire Nation citizens who were not Firebenders felt unusually at their personal peak. For the warriors of the Fire Nation, they knew that now was their time, somehow. Iroh and Zuko had risen at down, just the same as Ozai had, feeling that their lives had come to this moment. The Day of the Comet. Aang, newly granted mysterious knowledge by the great Turtle Lion, had recently been deposited upon the shores at the great forest guarding the Wulong Province. It would be the culmination of his life thus far as well. 

 

As the new day wore on, the skies began to redden, as they would remain for the rest of the day. The Day of Sozin's Comet had begun, and as it had always been in the past, it would be a great and important day in the history of the Fire Nation. 

A Knock at the Door

 

Azula took a deep breath, and then another one, the flickering lights drawn ever so slightly towards her, their yellow-orange luminescence turning blue. She had not known the precise date of its coming, but that feeling was unmistakable, the fire in her belly stronger than ever. The Comet had come. Sozin's Comet had arrived and she was by far the greatest Firebender in the entire city. Her lips curled into a smile. Azula wondered if Long Feng knew about the Comet- she doubted it as he had taken no special precautions. This meant that she had a signal advantage in their little battle of wills. By the coming of noon, she would be like a goddess among ants. That was when she would strike. Long Feng would have no idea what had hit him, and with the city in such disorder, he would be unlikely to be able to draw on the full resources of the Dai Li. 

She got up out of bed and noticed that her mother had made a pot of tea. Making her way up to the counter, she poured herself a cup. 

 

"Today." Azula said, smiling thinly. "You feel it too, don't you?" 

 

"Yes." Ursa replied. "I am not nearly the Firebender you are ... but I can feel it." 

 

"All Firebenders are akin to the very Gods on this day, Mother." Azula corrected her, taking a sip of her tea. 

 

"You're wagering that Long Feng does not know about this?" Ursa raised an eyebrow slightly. 

 

"He would not allow us to sit here and converse if he knew." Azula grinned, wolfishly. 

 

"Talk about what?" Ty Lee piped up, practically beaming as she made her way over, pouring herself a cup of tea as well. "... wow. Your auras." Her eyes widened. "You've never felt this strong before. Either of you." 

 

"Sozin's Comet is here, Ty Lee. This is our day. And Long Feng will live to regret it. Or ... not." Azula's wolfish grin narrowed slightly. "I haven't decided yet."

 

"What about his daughter? Long Feng's a bully and a tyrant but ... I don't want to make an orphan of her. Or, really, kill anyone." Ty Lee looked slightly hesitant. She could easily kill people, she realized, with her talents- and she'd made a very conscious choice not only to not do so, but not to tell anyone that she could. 

 

Azula sighed slightly. "We shall make decisions about that later ... first we need to free ourselves." Azula's eyes locked with Ty Lee's. "This time tomorrow, we will no longer be prisoners. With good fortune, we may even be the masters of the city." 

 

With that, though, there was a knock at the door that sounded particularly urgent. Azula took a breath, immediately alert. "Ty Lee ... answer the door. Be prepared to move away very quickly. We will cover you if necessary." She merely whispered the command, taking up an alert stance with her mother behind Ty Lee as she went to open the door. 

 

"The Director needs you immediately." Hakka said simply. "It is an emergency of the gravest sort. Something catastrophic is happening at the outer walls of the city." The Earthbender looked particularly disconcerted, and Azula could easily enough determine that he was not making a ploy.  _Perhaps my hour will have to wait. No matter. I have all day._

 

Showdown at Ba Sing Se

 

The Great Walls of Ba Sing Se. Ran Shao had been ordered to attack and destroy those as well, no doubt to facilitate easier occupation of whatever was left of the city after he was finished, which would not be much. The fire burned in him, brighter than he'd ever felt it before. It felt barely contained by his flesh. The only way to find relief, of course, was to use his terrible power. He took a deep breath, and then, moving a portion of his power from the pit of his stomach to the symbol on his head, the blast tore itself out, hitting the great walls and utterly destroying a large portion of them. As they headed towards the city, fire from various Earthbenders was quenched by more terrifically powerful blasts, combined with the might of the Firebenders aboard and the formidable weaponry of the zeppelin itself.

 

Ran Shao's terrible power spared no one in his path, as he sought out structures, towers, and even farmlands no doubt full of labourers to destroy. Coming up towards the Inner Walls of the city, Ran Shao took another deep breath, and blasted through them. Inside the diabolically crowded Outer Ring of the city, every one of his blasts laid waste to numerous homes, businesses, and no doubt hundreds of people. The annihilation of a crowded tenement might have meant the deaths of a thousand.

 

It was then, as large areas of the city almost totally disappeared under his fearsome power that a huge arc of blue flame spread out towards him. Ran Shao watched as the fiery blast neatly sliced through a huge portion of the zeppelin, causing the metallic giant to crash towards the ground. Focusing his energy out towards his feet, not caring for the consequences for the others still on the zeppelin, Ran Shao blasted himself up like a human projectile to land on the roof of one of the many dismal tenements of the Outer Ring, scanning the area to see his mysterious opponent. It was then that he saw them, four people, on a nearby rooftop. His eyes narrowed. Three girls and a young man, in the uniform of the Dai Li. His eyes met that of the young woman in the front. Princess Azula. He smiled slightly. Perhaps, just maybe, this would be a little more than just a job. He took a deep breath and focused his deadly power upon her. 

 

Showdown at the Wulong Forest

 

Ozai cackled as he watched the horrific effect that his Firebending was having on the forest floor below. In less than an hour, he would cross over the Wulong Forest and into the densely populated and agriculturally rich Wulong Province. Then, he would destroy not mere creatures of the forest, but men and women. This day, the Earth Kingdom would cease to exist and the Fire Nation would redouble its holy mission to purify and cleanse the world of all else. It was then that he felt a colossal force hit against the zeppelin that was carrying him. Steadying his feet, he turned towards its source. His eyes flashed fire and his expression turned into a terrible grin. The Avatar. Fate had delivered his only possible worthy opponent right into his hands, at the very moment of his ascension. Truly, the universe itself loved him. Stripping himself swiftly of his robes, he blasted down to meet the guardian of the old order, the very order that he sought to destroy. 

 

Below him, Aang saw the Fire Lord descend. He took a deep breath knowing that now, every lesson in bending he had ever been taught would be needed. But there was something else that he noticed now as he prepared for the battle to come in a mere moment. A swirling, miasmic aura of red and black energy, suggestive of evil and madness and of a deep, lifelong rage against the world. Though he'd known that Ozai was an evil man before, feeling that pure hatred made Aang realize just how high the stakes were. He could not lose this battle, or one day, that hatred would consume the whole world. 

 

Showdown in the Skies

 

"What was that?" Katara looked out at the destruction of the lead zeppelin. "Something just ..."

 

She looked really closely. "It's ... it's AANG!" Despite the mortal danger that faced them all, she could help but grin. "He's here!" 

 

"Of course he's here. He's the Avatar." Suki responded with a small smile, as if that was self-evident. "And let's face it, Aang's not exactly famous for being early for things." 

 

"... I am going to KILL Twinkletoes when this is over! I was actually worried!" Toph growled slightly, enormously relieved that he was alive. "So ... Sokka ... what's our plan now?"

 

Sokka watched Aang for a moment before answering. "... AIRSHIP SLICE." He grinned like a goon before giving out the orders about how they were going to proceed. He sincerely hoped that this would work, and that, also, they would actually survive it. Because he was looking forward to see Toph yelling at Aang. That, and the inevitable celebration of victory. Especially the celebrations of the more private kind. But ... now was not the time to think about that. "Okay ... Suki, turn this ship around, hard. Katara, crank that speed up as high as you can. And after that ... get up top and pray to whatever gods or spirits you feel like. Because it's going to be a very, very bumpy ride." 

 

Fin, part XIX

 

Sozin's Comet is presently in the skies. 

 

Into the Inferno

 

There was no describing the scene of the battle being fought in the bowels of Ba Sing Se. At least, all words failed Ty Lee as she did her best to keep up with the battle, or more accurately, to stay out of the way of the two Firebenders, and Hakka, who insisted on remaining in the fray. More and more, her and Mai had become sidelined from the main battle, their efforts focused towards keeping people alive, saving them from the flaming wreckage. With strength that she never knew she had, she tossed aside a large piece of rubble, putting down a hand to pull a child out of it. The girl got shakily to her feet and ran off. Ty Lee took a breath, wondering that she wasn't totally exhausted, but glad for it- because she couldn't possibly slow down or rest now. Someone had to try to help the regular people caught in this ... again, she had no words for it. She squeaked slightly as she noticed a small trickle of molten metal beginning to snake its way down the street. Leaping up onto the wreckage of a tenement, she felt another aura, dimmer this time. With all the frantic strength she could muster, she started digging, tossing aside pieces of rubble and smashed wood that weighed more than she did.

 

Just as she could see the barest outlines of a stretched out hand, the hand went limp and the aura went blank. No. No. She felt a profound chill settle over her for a moment, and a horrible nausea in her stomach. It was bad enough knowing that someone had died, but feeling their life light disappear ... sometimes, she cursed her abilities. Taking a ragged gulpy breath, she knew that she couldn't stop to mourn or even let the feeling wash away. Other people needed her. Whispering a short benediction, she went to where she felt the next trapped aura, bright with fear, but also with life. They would make it. She could help them at least.

 

~.~

 

"I would appreciate it if you would come up with one of your supposedly brilliant plans." Hakka growled slightly, as he raised another vast piece of rock, only to be blasted into dust by their assailant. "Because this ... man is handily resisting our best attempts to overpower him." He sent an earthwave at the mysterious man, but their opponent only stomped the ground, pulverizing that earthwave as well. He had so far proven virtually invulnerable to any attempt to overpower him, and they'd only barely managed to avoid his own hideous strength. They needed a plan, and a good one, or he would eventually overwhelm them, he was sure.

 

"... Of course you would rely on me." Azula snarled, sweeping her feet in mid-air to release a widely arcing blade of blue flame at their enemy. "This man must have some sort of weakness."

Their enemy leapt out of the way of her attack, and then, with the same grim anger on his face that he had worn since they had first encountered him, brought his hands together as if applauding. The result, however, was a deafening thundercrack and a gust of air that knocked both Azula and Hakka off their feet and sent them flying towards the walls of a tenement. At the last moment, Azula managed to muster enough force of will, despite the ringing of her ears to blast up the walls of the tenement, just in time to watch the nearly invisible tendril of deadly force hit the wall of the tenement. Pushing herself, she managed to blast up out of the impact, but what about Hakka? Not that she had any personal investment in the Earthbender, but if nothing else, he was a valiant warrior, and a useful ally in this particular battle.

 

Landing on the ruins of the tenement, where Ty Lee was, she looked at her friend. "I need you to look at his chi patterns." Her eyes narrowed. "Read him like a book. I will do my best to distract him. At the right moment, you must strike."

 

"... okay." Ty Lee replied, nodding quickly. "He's seen us."

 

Azula blasted away promptly upon that, hoping that he would follow her rather than Ty Lee. Though her friend was exceedingly light on her feet, she doubted whether it would be enough to defeat the incredibly powerful Firebender. At least, she assumed was a Firebender of some sort. His powers seemed to have something to do with the instantaneous and explosive combustion of anything that he used his powers on ... fine. I will call you Combustion Man. And you will go down. She veered rapidly as she saw Combustion Man facing her. Ty Lee darted around the sides. Azula hoped she would have the good sense not to attack until the most opportune moment. She could easily be philosophical about the loss of an Earthbender she didn't know very well. She would miss Ty Lee, terribly.

 

~.~

 

"... you look awful." Those were the first words that Hakka heard upon regaining consciousness. Mai looked down at him, having long since got rid of her exterior robes, and currently shredding one of his sleeves. "Your arm's gone. Almost totally. I'm ... I'm gonna have to cut it off. So I'm tying a tourniquet first." She went about her business quickly. "Looks like the bone's finished. So ... this should be quick." She drew one of her knives and sliced through the remaining flesh. "I'm sorry."

 

"Uhhn. Doesn't hurt." Hakka sighed slightly, before shakily getting to his feet. "I need to get back to the battle." His ears were still ringing and he felt slightly dizzy, but it was his duty. It was his duty to protect the city.

 

"You just lost your arm." Mai looked at him as if, perhaps, he'd lost his head as well. "You can't go back and fight."

 

"I have to. I have to protect this city ..." Hakka grimaced a little bit as he felt the pain come on. "You can either help me or stay out of my way."

 

"Sheesh." Mai sighed. "All you men are the same. Come on, macho man, let's go get you killed."

 

~.~

 

"You're alive." Azula glanced towards Hakka as he came up into the centre of the battle, alongside Mai. "That's nice. We could use your help. We're trying to keep our friend Combustion Man pinned down so Ty Lee can chi-block him." With that, another blast came towards them, with Hakka throwing up an earth barrier to protect them. He nodded.

 

"... you guys try aiming at that stupid spot on his head?" Mai asked. "Because I'm pretty sure that's not just a dumb tattoo."

 

Azula turned towards Mai for a moment. "You're brilliant. And unpleasant. But ... yes. TY LEE. We have a new plan!" She blasted off into the skies again, hoping to draw Combustion Man's fire. Ty Lee perked up and dashed towards Azula.

 

Hakka, for his part, was looking with real venom towards that metallic arm that Combustion Man was sporting. Focusing as much as he could, he started to draw as much earth as he could, while his attention was drawn at the Fire Nation princess into a vast whip, which he gathered at the stub of his recently removed arm. With the most violent gesture he could possibly make, the whip lashed at Combustion Man, wrapping around his metallic arm, and then pulling, as hard as he could. He couldn't help but smile with some satisfaction as the metallica arm came off and he heard a roar of pain and indignation from Combustion Man. Immediately, Hakka threw up a huge earthwave to protect him and Mai.

 

"Uh huh, an arm for an arm. Real creative there." Mai sighed, before peeking out to throw several knives at Combustion Man, who stopped them cold with another one of those clapping motions, though not quickly enough to avoid being blown sky-high by a fire bomb. Azula smirked as she watched Combustion Man, go flying, though, very soon, the fiend stabilized him, took a breath and unleashed another one of his combustion blasts.

 

For the first time since they had begun the battle, Combustion Man spoke. "I will destroy you." As he said that, he felt a sudden weight on his back.

 

Azula's eyes opened wide. "Ty Lee! Aim for the symbol on his head!"

 

~.~

 

Ty Lee landed on Combustion Man's back, easily dodging the clumsy swipes he sent towards her, and hearing Azula's command, brought up her fist and rammed it as hard as she could into the symbol on his head. Immediately after that, he managed to grab her, and flung her away from him. Thinking quickly, she turned a flip in the air, springing into the wall, rather than crashing into it. Unfortunately, as she did that, she felt an immediate searing pain in one of her feet. Hitting the ground, she quietly cursed as she realized that she'd broken at least one of her toes in that landing. And also ... that he'd flung her some forty feet. What sort of man WAS he, anyway? Combustion Man, for his part was staggering, small lights going off from him. Her eyes widened enormously.

 

"HE'S GONNA BLOW." Ty Lee screamed at the top of her lungs as she scrambled to get as far away from him as possible. Hakka immediately attempted to encase Combustion Man in the greatest amount of rock he could, trying to keep the rock together by sheer force of will, while Azula and Mai quickly got away from the scene. When he exploded, the noise was deafening, but by some miracle, Hakka was able to keep the rock wall around Combustion Man intact. As soon as he released his grip, though, the rock wall collapsed, not into smaller pieces, but into dust. Taking a ragged breath, Hakka sank to his knees, feeling more acutely now the combination of exhaustion and blood loss.

 

Azula and Mai stopped and turned around as the explosion ended, going towards where Hakka was. Ty Lee herself quickly darted over to where he was. Mai sighed and helped him up.

"You macho idiot." She smirked slightly at him. "Way to save all our lives."

 

"Hhn." Hakka replied. "... you're welcome."

 

Ty Lee immediately ran over, the pain from her foot regardless and hugged Azula tightly, who did not hesitate this time before returning the affection. "We did it, Azula! We saved the city and defeated ... what was it you called him?"

 

"Combustion Man." Azula replied, clutching her friend tightly. "I thought it was fitting." She parted slightly, smiling at her. "You are aware we would all likely have perished without your assistance at the critical moment, right?"

 

"... uh huh." Ty Lee replied, a small smile spreading across her face.

 

"... well, don't get all smug about it." Azula replied. "We still have much to do tod- MMMPH!" Her next phrase was cut off by a sudden and very enthusiastic kiss from Ty Lee.

 

"You talk too much sometimes, `Zula." Ty Lee grinned, smugly, as Azula blushed, a gorgeous shade of scarlet, just like her aura.

 

The moment, however, was interrupted by the sound of dry clapping from the streets, as Long Feng himself stood before them, along with dozens of Dai Li agents. "If you ladies are finished with your little romantic moment, you are both under arrest. I have tolerated your little games for much too long, Azula. It is quite clear that I cannot risk your continued presence in my city."

A crowd began to gather, slowly, from the tenements around the battle zone, literally thousands of people, peering at the scene and whispering amongst themselves. Ty Lee recognized one of the people in the mob as the girl she had rescued earlier in the day. The numbers of the crowd continued to increase. Long Feng looked around at the ever-growing numbers of the crowd. "I order that this crowd disperse immediately and return to your homes. Anyone remaining here will be subject to arrest."

 

The crowd refused to move, or act in any way. The Dai Li agents looked amongst themselves, at their wounded fellow agent, at the Director, and at the Princess. Long Feng's eyes narrowed. "Arrest the Princess and her friends."

 

Azula simply smiled to herself.

 

Full Circle

 

"... Sir, with all due respect ... hnn ... you've got to be out of your mind." Hakka replied. "We just saved the entire city together."

 

"By destroying a moderately large portion of it." Mai added. 

 

A few people in the crowd actually laughed at the line. With grave concern, Long Feng realized that yet again, the Dai Li were hesitating to move in and arrest the princess. Instead, they just stood there, stonily, watching and waiting. Last time, it had only been a second or two, perhaps even mere surprise that he had ordered simply to arrest her in the end. This was different. He took a deep breath. If it was down to a contest of wills with a teenage girl with obvious emotional problems, he was confidant enough he'd win. And then, he would see to it that such hesitation and treachery never again happened. 

 

"It looks like we've come full circle, Long Feng." Azula finally spoke, her eyes flashing like hot coals, the most terribly insolent smile on her face. "But this time, it's different. The Comet fills me with the strength of a thousand suns and you, on the other hand, no longer feel confidently the master of this city." 

 

"That is nonsense. Dai Li, arrest the girl and her friends." Long Feng replied, before turning his attention to Hakka for a moment. "You're wounded and not in your right mind. Do not defend the girl, she is a foreigner." 

 

Azula took a breath, making deliberately large, winding gestures with her arms, feeling the separation of vast positive and negative energies, channeling that tension and then, raising her hand in the air and releasing it in a brilliant, forked display, creating a deafening crack of thunder alongside it. She then calmly put her hand down, blowing a small wisp of smoke insolently from from an outstretched finger. "Well, you heard the man." Her insolent smile turned into a warlike grin. "Come and get it, if you dare." 

 

The crowd shrunk back instinctively from the fearsome display of power, and even the gathered lines of Dai Li took a step back in unison. While before they had been impassive in their inaction, now, there was clearly fear in their features. Only Long Feng stood his ground, his eyes focused on the princess. He had not clawed his way up from insignificance to the mastery of an entire city on anything less than bull nerves. A little lightning was not going to frighten him. He would emerge as the victor this day, even if the very heavens seemed to cry the princess's name. After all, if nothing else, the very planet was his weapon. Long Feng wanted to see the girl broken, but he would not hesistate to slay her if he needed to. There was far too much at stake this time. 

 

Azula smiled slightly, slightly impressed at the will of the Director. He was not backing down easily.  _Good._ It didn't matter, that day, the pieces were falling in place for her. And it would be a shame for him to fold before she'd released her trump card. The final play, that would no doubt turn this enormous and thus far passive crowd into a deadly weapon on her favor. 

 

"Tell me, Director ... have you ever heard of the Mandate of Heaven?" As she started, she could see two hooded figures clearing their way through the rabble. She smiled slightly and continued. "Rulers possess a divine right, passed onto them by the very gods, to rule their people. But with that awesome power, comes an equally great responsibility. The responsibility is to rule justly and in the best interests of the people. Now, Long Feng, perhaps once upon a time, you clawed your way into that Mandate. But now, can you really say that you've ruled justly and well to this fair gathering of your subjects? Threatened from without by the Fire Nation, racked by privation and plague on the inside, all while a brutal police state merrily kidnaps young women, even girls, and turns them into mindless drones?" 

 

Long Feng narrowed his eyes. "I will not explain my actions to you. I find it particularly ironic that the Princess of the Fire Nation- a far more despotic polity as anyone knows than anywhere in the Earth Kingdom, would be lecturing me about a silly idea like the Mandate of Heaven." 

"It's rude to interrupt, Long Feng. I'm not done yet." Azula smiled. "You're right, though, in pointing out that I am a Princess of blood. So the good people of the city will excuse me if your last crime especially angers me. Long Feng here arrested your King, the rightful ruler of the entire Earth kingdom and imprisoned him like a common criminal." 

 

"... the Princess lies." Long Feng replied, looking slightly uneasy. 

 

"No, Long Feng. You lie." One of the hooded figures put down his hasty disguise to reveal the slightly bookish features of Kuei, the Earth King. And as if further confirmation was needed, not far behind, trundled Bosco, the Earth King's beloved pet, the latest in a long line of royal companions. "Long Feng arrested me and threw me in prison as if I were a thief, it's true. And it is also true that I owe my freedom to these four young women from the Fire Nation. Oddly enough. I will grant an amnesty to any Dai Li agent that stands down. Any Dai Li agent that makes any move to attack me, or the Fire Nation princess or her friends will incur the harshest possible penalties under our law." He squinted slightly at a few of the agents. "And Bosco won't be happy with you either!" 

 

The other hooded figure, the former Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation, could not help but smack her forehead on her palm at the last line. That hadn't been in the speech they'd rehearsed on the way here. 

 

~.~

 

Love at First Sight

 

"Earth King Kuei?" Ursa asked as she opened the door to his prison, her question punctuated by the vague moanings of a Dai Li guard who had been unfortunate enough to attempt to oppose her rescue efforts. Kuei looked up, trying his best in the dim light to see his mysterious rescuer. At least, he hoped she was his rescuer- a part of him was more than a little worried that Long Feng would decide he was more trouble than he was worth. 

 

"... yes. Have you come to liberate me, brave subject?" Kuei asked, trying his best to look both hopeful and pleading at the same time. 

 

"I'm Fire Nation." Ursa replied, with a sigh.

 

"You're beautiful." Kuei answered, with a blush. She was stunning, tall and pleasingly shaped, with long and dark hair and deep amber eyes. 

 

"... I'm here to rescue you. We should get out of here, quickly." Ursa noticed, with mild dismay, that he was staring at her.  _Great, just what I most desire. The world's most exalted man-child to be infatuated with me._

 

"Of course, fair lady." Kuei answered. "But not without Bosco."

 

"... Bosco? Is that your lover?" Ursa asked, sincerely hoping that Kuei was a man-lover and was simply being complementary.  

"No!" Kuei laughed. "He's my bear! He is a few cells down. But you are right .. we should hurry." Kuei got up. "I owe you our freedom. Please, tell me how I can repay you." 

 

"... we'll settle that later. Quickly ... your Majesty." Ursa could tell that this was going to be a very long day. 

 

~.~

 

The Moment of Truth

 

"... your Majesty." Long Feng replied. "I had you placed in protective custody, to keep you away from an extremely dangerous situation. Even if the Princess truly intends to free you, she will do so only for the Fire Nation's agenda." 

 

"I don't think so. In any case, her agenda is something I will concern myself with on another day. Today, all I know is that these people rescued me from a prison cell you put me in. And furthermore, saved the capital city of my realm from total destruction. Give yourself up peacefully, Long Feng, and your subsequent exile need not be unpleasant." Kuei sighed, exasperatedly. "... you made me miss Chu-Hua's birthday! I was going to give her a bear cub!" 

 

Long Feng had ceased listening to the Earth King's prattle. Instead, his attention had turned towards the princess. Perhaps he had lost this day, but he would be damned if he would allow her to enjoy her victory. No, he would drag her down to the Eighteen Hells, where a far grimmer and more unpleasant King could have his way with her. Growling, he made a movement so swift it was virtually a blur, calling up several razor sharp earth blades to impale the princess. But in a horrified moment, he realized she had been shifted harmlessly out of the way. The next thing he knew, he had been almost entirely swallowed up by the earth, save his head and shoulders. Each attempt he made at Earthbending was being blocked. He couldn't help but growl when he realized the source. 

 

Hakka glared right back at Long Feng, his face white and his body shaking from the effort of blocking Long Feng's earthbending. "You've lost. And far too many people have died today, as it is." He turned an eye towards Azula for a moment, before focusing back on Long Feng.

 

"... you had nothing before we discovered you, Hakka." Long Feng did his best to stare the younger Earthbender down. "You were naught but the scum of the streets, the lowest of the low. I found you and made you into our champion. And this is how you repay me?!" 

 

"I had my honor. I'll get it back again." Hakka replied simply. "Thanks for the training." 

 

~.~

 

Happy Ending

 

"... the Earth King really seems to have a thing for your Mom." Ty Lee laughed. "Just think, if they ended up getting married, not that I'm saying that would happen or anything, you'd be a Princess of pretty much the entire world." 

 

Azula couldn't help but smirk a little bit, as she looked back at the party that the Earth King had scratched together in a few days from seemingly nothing at all. "I see she's finally allowed herself to be convinced to dance with him." She looked towards Ty Lee. "Well, we're free now ... more, I suppose, than we've ever really been before. I suppose Mai will go and try and find Zuzu, especially now that he's the Fire Lord." She rolled her eyes slightly. "Though I may see him soon enough myself. The Earth King has asked me to serve in a temporary capacity as his chief negotiator for the peace to follow. He's also offered to grant Earth Kingdom citizenship and the governorship of the old Jinzhai province pending its return to Earth Kingdom sovereignty."

"... wow. That's amazing!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "I mean, you'll be kind of like ..."

 

"A Queen." Azula nodded. "Provincial governorships in the Earth Kingdom mean virtual sovereignty in one's own territory. Bumi is, legally, the governor of Omashu Province. And Jinzhai is, of course, the core of the Fire Nation's colonies in the Earth Kingdom. The first major city we seized, a hundred years ago. It ... well, it isn't the Fire Nation, but it is at least, a start. And you ... what are you planning to do?" 

 

Ty Lee took Azula's hand in hers, smiling warmly at her. "I want to go with you. Wherever you go. You should know that, silly." She blushed warmly.

 

Azula blushed as well. "Well, of course you are. It is ... nice to hear it." She blushed a little more. "I am not ... very knowledgeable about these things." 

 

"That's what you get for having a head full of strategies and politics." Ty Lee teased gently, giving her hand a squeeze. "And you know, being a super powerful Firebender, and a Pai Sho expert and a master artist." 

 

"Then it is settled." Azula nodded. "You will instruct me in the ways of love." 

 

Ty Lee laughed and curtsied slightly. "Yes, your Majesty." She then grinned flirtatiously. "The first lesson? How to kiss ..." 

 

One Month Later

Fire Nation Capital Prison

  
Ursa rounded the corner in one of the hallways of the prison, carefully timing her expedition to coordinate with the changing of the guard. Now that Ozai was no longer a bender, the security around him seemed to follow similar protocols to the other high-profile prisoners- no doubt Ursa would have to convince at least one guard to stand aside for the time being, but that was a risk she was willing to take. She'd learned how to pick the locks, with the same, razor-sharp, ultra-thin dagger that she had planned to kill Ozai with. Ursa found herself hesitating for a minute. _What if she was caught?_ Zuko wouldn't understand, a fact that made her deeply glad. His experiences, if anything, had cleansed and purified him. Ursa felt that her own had tainted her. She was no longer the bright, cheerful woman she had been so many years ago, more interested in using her sharp wits to amuse than to plot and kill. 

 

"Agni. You look like Azul in one of those horrible Ember Island plays." Mai commented dryly. She looked at Ursa for a moment. "I'm surprised you waited this long."

 

"... I suppose I can't bribe you, can I?" Ursa replied. Mai shook her head no in response. 

"I want to come with you." Mai's usual unemotional features looked changed, and the deep rage within was revealed for a moment. "I want to see the bastard die for what he did to Zuko." 

 

Ursa closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. "You can't, Mai." 

 

"Why not?" Mai replied, a somewhat uncharacteristically ragged edge on her voice. "What, you don't think I'm tough enough to see it? That I'm just a child?" 

 

"Please." Ursa finally opened her eyes, her words soft, nearly begging. "What I do tonight is not justice. It is vengeance. You are only sixteen, Mai." Ursa then took Mai's hands, overcoming some resistance on the younger woman's part. "There is no blood on your hands. I pray that there never will be. Go. Be with Zuko." She allowed herself a tiny smile. "You love him, and I know that he loves you as well. Go."

 

Mai finally ripped her hands away from Ursa, fixing her with the angriest glare she could muster up. "I hate you." She finally declared, in the inelegant manner of a typical teenager, before storming off from whence she came. Ursa simply smiled slightly as she stormed off, took a few seconds to compose herself and continued down the hallway. Tonight, the demons in her soul would finally be laid to rest. Then, perhaps, she could live again. 

 

Fire Nation Palace

 

Zuko preferred to train in the night, so that he could stretch his abilities against the mild resistance of the moon. Firebending in the sun was too easy. Everything seemed possible, then. Perhaps it was slightly masochistic to insist on training in the worst possible conditions, but then again, Zuko had become so accustomed to things being difficult in his life that, frankly, anything else seemed profoundly alien to him. Now, working and training in the arts of governance, he was beginning to feel a little bit like a caged tiger. There was so much hard work ahead, but he'd been amazed at, at least, the initial wave of relief that had accompanied the end of the war amongst many. While the Fire Nation had been largely successful in the conflict, its resources had been increasingly strained. The end of the war had caught the Nation on the verge of an economic breaking point and down to its last military reserves. Zuko snarled slightly and let out a prolonged blast of fire from his hands. Even his internal monologue had been taken over by politics and economics. 

 

He wanted to go away for awhile, join his newfound friends on their continuing journeys over the world. But how could he? He was the Fire Lord now. He had responsibilities to his people, and to the world as a whole. Another frustrated fire column. Maybe he could get away for a short while. A vacation even. Sweeping arcs of fire, slashing through the air like knives. It was impossible, he knew it. What would he do, ask his uncle to act as a Regent while he went off and goofed off with his friends? The very height of selfishness. A flying kick that sent a fiery projection of himself ahead of it. 

 

"... I'm gonna go ahead and guess you're having a bad night too." Mai finally said, from where she had been quietly watching him. 

 

"... yeah." Zuko replied, but with a small smile on his face. He couldn't help it. "A lot of frustration. You?" 

 

"Frustration." Mai repeated, her head tilting slightly. "I suppose that's as good a word to use as any." Not just over what had happened earlier. "Yeah, frustration. Nice moves, by the way." 

 

"Thanks. I've been working on my firebending. Uncle says I've made huge progress in my firebending." Zuko replied. "Still haven't got to the point of mastering lightning yet, but-"

"I didn't ask for a full tactical report." Mai replied, with a thin smile. "So ... we're frustrated, and I'm bored. You look kinda bored too. You want to get out of here and do something a little more interesting?" 

 

"... what did you have in mind?" Zuko asked, smiling slightly, feeling the world contract dramatically. "Mai-"

 

Mai crossed the distance to them before he could finish what he was going to say and crushed her lips against him, kissing him hard, a little roughly. "We'll think of something." Mai said as their lips parted, looking him in the eye, her own eyes bright and passionate. They kissed again, this time a little softer, sweeter and much more deeply. Zuko wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him and holding her tightly. Mai closed her eyes, put her arms around him too and for the first time in many years, let the tears go. 

 

Ozai's Cell, Fire Nation Capital

 

Ursa finally let the knife drop to the floor with a small  _ping,_ finally allowing herself to take a good look around the cell. Red, red, everywhere. She had found herself unable to simply stab him once, and neatly, but she had done it again and again, and it was not only the knife, or even her hands that was covered in blood. Ozai's blood stained her clothes, the walls, the floor, even her face. She looked at his lifeless body, at his dead eyes. He had wanted it. He had wanted to die. When she had walked into the cell, her mind set on bloody vengeance, he'd simply laughed, remarking on the rumours of her seeing the Earth King. But his eyes had been dead, and twenty-three stab wounds later, she hadn't succeeded in making them look any more dead. 

 

With the last bit of venom she could manage, she turned and spat on his corpse. Then, Ursa calmly removed her blood-soaked outer clothes and put on a cloak she had brought along to cover herself up if she had got any blood on her clothes. As for the blood spots on her face, she simply hoped that nobody looked too close. She only had to walk a short distance back to the Palace and wash up. Then she would try and figure out what to do next. The bastard was dead. Her children were safe. She closed her eyes. Maybe she would go to Ba Sing Se after all. Kuei was a simple man, but he was good and kind. Perhaps she would give him a chance at least. And Bosco seemed to like her. 

 

 _It's like the end of one of those Ember Island melodramas I always loved when I was younger._ With that thought, Ursa left the cell and began to walk back to the palace. It was over now, at long last. 

 

_Ursa, exit stage left._


End file.
